Family Stands
by prophet144
Summary: AU. What happens when someone important to Tommy needs him? Set almost 3 years before Dino Thunder. Slash.
1. Chp 1 Trouble at the Door

Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers or anything connected to them. I do own Tyler.

This is my first story in the PR universe and I'm making it AU. It's going to be set about 2 years before Dino Thunder and will be slash. The pairing is Tommy/Jason and Tommy has a younger brother. I realize that he only had an older one on the show, but we didn't learn a lot about his past so anything is possible. Reviews are appreciated and replied to, flamers will be deleted.

Chp 1

November 29th, 2002

Reefside, CA

The walk up the drive was seemingly endless and the cold rain that poured from the heavens did nothing to improve his mood or how he was feeling. When the house came into view, he sighed. Spotting the motorcycle next to the black jeep, he could feel his weariness increase. 'Both of them just had to be at home tonight. Might make things easier though.' It wasn't much further and then he could rest. At least he could see movement behind the lighted windows, showing that someone was indeed awake.

He paused at the bottom of the porch, suddenly overcome with the need to just turn and run, unsure if this was the best thing for him to be doing. Then again, this is the last place his step-dad would look for him. Slowly climbing the steps, his hand hovered over the door for a moment before knocking hesitantly and then stepping back to wait.

Jason Lee Scott had been having very nice evening alone with his lover. The weather had caused them to alter their plans slightly, but it had still been enjoyable. Despite the fact that his boyfriend of over 6 years was getting over a set of cracked ribs from an overzealous sparring partner. Frowning, he turned to look at him.

"We expecting anyone?"

Thomas "Tommy" James Oliver shook his head, but didn't say anything as he started to rise in order to answer the door. A strong hand on his shoulder kept him from doing so.

"You just stay there and rest. I'll get the door." He made his way over to the door and opened it slowly. The person who was on the other side was not one that he'd ever expected to see again so soon, or at the very least not for another 4 or 5 years. Well, at least not without another round of lies and deception.

"Tyler?" Disbelief colored his voice as he reached a hand out towards the younger man only to end up catching him as the youth's knees gave way. " Oh shit. Easy Ty, I've got you."

Tyler Andrew Johnson-Oliver groaned as he laid in Jason's arms. Every part of him hurt and he just wanted to sleep, but he knew that he owed his brother and Jason an explanation on why he was here. "Shit, that hurt." He sighed and looked up. "Would have called, but I left my phone."

"Just relax Ty." Tommy knelt down by the pair. "What happened?"

"Let's just say that Russell didn't appreciate me telling him that I was going to keep taking karate and helping out at the Youth Center." He shivered, which pulled at his aching muscles, causing him to groan again.

Jason stood slowly, holding the teen in his arms. "Let's get you cleaned up and looked over." He started making his way to the bathroom while Tommy went on ahead to get things ready.

"He really lit into me this time Jase."

"I can see that. If you want me to, I'll talk to my dad or Rocky."

"Not yet. He won't look for me here, least for a few days."

Entering the bathroom, Jason set him down on the closed toilet and looked over at Tommy. "Just hand me a pair of scissors or the trauma shears. It'll be easier to just cut him out of his clothes than moving him to get them off."

Grinning slightly, Tommy handed over the trauma shears. "One step ahead of you there." Turning to his younger brother, he held out a thermometer. "Open up bro." He slid the thermometer into place, using the time waiting for it to beep to really study the teen.

His brother had dropped weight, which he really couldn't spare and there were dark circles under his eyes that had nothing to do with bruises from a fight. As his lover worked to remove Tyler's clothes, he could see fading welts and bruises along with fresher ones. It was the stitches across his shoulder that worried him. Or rather, the redness that was slowly spreading from them. He removed the thermometer as it beeped, frowning at the 101 reading.

"When was the last time your stitches were taken care of Tyler?"

"About three days ago, when they were put in."

He could suddenly feel both Jason's and Tommy's eyes on him. Sighing, he started talking.

3 days ago, Angel Grove, CA

_Tyler sighed as he finished his workout and started for the locker room to take a shower before heading home. Russell Johnson, his step-dad, had told him that he was not to be late for dinner anymore and that he'd better not show up looking like a slob. Thanksgiving was over, but the Christmas holidays were coming up and he was hoping to be able to take some time during the school break to go and visit his brother. Thinking about how to get his step-dad to agree to that occupied his thoughts as he took a shower and headed home. He was almost through the front door when it was suddenly slammed into him, pinning him between the door and the frame. Looking up, he met the glare of Russell._

"_I told you to be home in time for dinner, you're half an hour late." He didn't let up his pressure on the door, keeping his step-son in place. "Your mother worked very hard to get dinner together for us and you don't even have the courtesy to show up on time to eat?" Letting up a bit, he let Tyler slide forward a bit before slamming him once again with the door, embedding the slide lock in the teen's shoulder. He knew the wound would require stitches, but he didn't care. "You need to learn to be more careful or accidents like this could end up happening more often."_

"He took me to the ER and they didn't even blink when he told them that I had been roughhousing with a friend and gotten slammed into the door frame. If he'd left me alone, I would have told them the truth, but he stood there the entire time."

Jason shook his head as he helped him into the bath. "Just sit there for a few minutes and let the hot water work a bit. We'll be back." He left the bathroom with Tommy and went down the hall to the guest room to help him get it ready. "That shoulder looks infected."

"His temp was 101." Tommy stated, looking over at his lover. "Some of those bruises are really deep and he seems to be favoring his left side a bit."

"Most of the welts were superficial, he's probably got a concussion and I think he's favoring his right hand a bit." Jason sighed. "Something tells me that he fought back this time."

"Which means that we might actually need your dad or Rocky to get that order of protection and emergency guardianship paperwork pushed through by the end of the week." When they finished getting the bed ready, both men returned to stand outside the bathroom, talking quietly until the teen was done.

While his brother and Jason were outside the bathroom talking, Tyler was thinking about what had brought him to his brother's doorstep. The fight tonight had started because he didn't want to stop taking karate lessons. The only reason he could think that Russell would want him to stop was that he was afraid that Tyler would fight back one day when his step-dad tried to 'discipline' him. Ty snorted, well he had fought back, but only after Russell pulled a knife on him. That was when he'd knocked the man out and ran. The only reason he could think of that Russell pulled the knife in the first place was that Ty had still been conscious after the near-30 minute beating he'd already been given and that had pissed Russell off.

That had been early this afternoon and he'd grabbed the commuter bus to Reefside, but he didn't have his cell, any change and cab fare was out of the question, so he'd stared walking to his brother's place. Thankfully, Rocky and Adam had made sure that he knew where Tommy lived despite Russell's 'order' for him to have nothing to do with either Tommy or Jason. The rain had started almost as soon as he hit the city limits, an hour's walk from his brother's house.

Now, he was actually starting to get tired, so he sat up a bit more and washed up, ducking his head beneath the water to rinse the shampoo from his recent crew cut, another choice of Russell's, and then pulled the plug. Standing slowly, he wrapped a towel around his waist then realized that there was no way he'd be able to make it out on his own.

"You guys can come back in now." He watched as the pair slowly entered. "Decided not to try getting out on my own."

"Probably a good idea." Jason moved closer and helped him out of the tub, then helped support him.

"Can you move your fingers on your right hand?" If the hand was broken, Tyler wouldn't be able to do it without pain.

"It's not broke, Jase. I promise. Know what that feels like. I just sprained it when I hit the ground the first time he hit me, then used it to hit him before I took off running from the house." He still moved his fingers just to show them both.

"Okay, let's get you settled for the night." He helped him down the hall and then sat him down on the bed. "I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes while I go grab a few supplies." Leaving the brothers and closing the door, Jason shook his head. 'Oh yeah, things were definitely going to be interesting around here.'


	2. Chp 2 Making Promises

Standard disclaimer still applies. Tyler is mine and that is no lie.

This is an AU folks. By definition, an AU (alternate universe) is anything that deviates from normal cannon (what has been written by the powers that be for TV, books, movies, etc) and that includes giving characters family they might not have and different relationships with other established and original characters.

Now, on with the show... er, story.

Chp 2

Tyler was quiet for a few moments before he met his brother's eyes. "Was kinda scared you'd send me away."

Tommy sighed and placed a hand on the younger Oliver's uninjured shoulder. "Ty, I never wanted you to stay away nor would I send you away. If I'd had my way, the last 4 years you would have still been able to visit and involved with my life. At least more than the few small letters and cards we were able to slip you at the dojo. Not to mention that little unapproved visit you made to us over the summer. Keeping you away was Russell's decision, not mine. Although if I'd known what he was doing to you was this bad, I would have come to get you or stopped you from going back."

Ignoring the pain in his ribs, Tyler wrapped his arms around his brother, finally letting the tears fall that he'd held back for far too long.

As he held the crying teen, Tommy couldn't help but think back on the last time he'd really seen his little brother. When the teen had been unburdened, carefree and innocent.

4 years ago

Angel Grove

_Tommy Oliver was nervous. Tonight, he and Jason were finally going to come out to his parents that they were a couple. His brother, Tyler, had known for over a year and treated them no differently. The only thing he did differently was to actually knock before coming into a room where he knew both of them were. Now, he was hoping that tonight would go smoothly and no one would die. Out of the two of them, it was his step-dad's reaction that he feared the most. Russell Johnson could be a pain in the ass about a lot of things, but none of the boys had ever heard him say anything, good or bad, about people in a same-sex relationship._

_When he heard the knock at the door, he went over and opened it, relieved to find Jason on the other side. Nodding at him, they headed upstairs to wait until his mom called them down for dinner. Once in the bedroom, Tommy wrapped his arms around Jason, trembling slightly._

"_Easy love," Jason said, running his hands up and down the toned back. "You don't need to make yourself so nervous that you get sick to your stomach. It's not going to help things."_

_He sighed. "I know Jase. Just can't help but wonder what he's going to say. Then again, I'm so tired of not being able to hug you in front of them every time you come over. And if we don't come out to them first, when they find out from someone else--" He was stopped by Jason kissing him, effectively cutting off his ramble._

_As the need for air arose, Jason pulled back a bit and rested his forehead against Tommy's. "Relax. Whatever happens, we'll deal with. We've already told my parents and they're fine with it. If worse comes to worse, you can move in with me. We were already planning on you moving in, but if he throws you out, this will just move things up a bit."_

"_What about Tyler? Do you think he'd take anything out on him?"_

"_I don't know, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it. I mean, Tyler's a good kid, but even when he acts up a bit all Russell's done so far is yell at him. He hasn't raised a hand to him in the five years your mom's been married to him. So, he may not care, but until we actually talk with them, it's all guesswork."_

_Tommy nodded, then sighed as his mom called them all down for dinner. When they got downstairs, Tyler was already at the table along with Russell. Tommy sat down with Jason across from Tyler and grinned at his little brother. The 10 year old just grinned back and started filling his plate as dishes were passed around._

_It wasn't until they were having dessert that Tommy finally brought up the reason Jason was there, not that it was unusual for him to come over for dinner. "I've got something I'd like to tell you two."_

_Russell looked over at the two boys, then nodded. "All right. What is it?"_

_Jason's hand squeezing his beneath the table gave him the courage to say what he needed to as he met his step-dad's eyes. "I know that you and mom have always wanted me to get married after college and all that, so you can have grankids, but that's not going to be possible."_

"_Why not?" Russell had started to frown at this statement, warning bells going off in his head._

"_Because I'm gay and currently seeing someone." _

_Glaring at his oldest step-son, Russell Johnson stood up slowly. "Let me guess, your fag boyfriend is Jason?"_

_Tommy nodded his head before speaking. "Yes, Jason's my boyfriend. We've been seeing each other for almost 2 years now. And he's actually bi-sexual, not gay."_

_There was silence for several minutes, then Russell pointed at the door. "Get out of my house and don't come back."_

_Rebecca Oliver-Johnson looked at her husband. "Russell, please. Let's talk about this."_

"_There is nothing to talk about. I will not have something that unnatural in this house. Not when it could taint Tyler and make him think that kind of thing is acceptable."_

_Tyler chose that moment to speak up. "I'm fine with it. I've known for a while now. Besides, it doesn't change who they are as people."_

_Russell glared at his step-son. "You will have nothing to do with him, do you understand me Tyler? Now go to your room." He was practically yelling by the time he finished and watched as the boy practically ran up the stairs. Then he turned to the other two. "You are not to call him, send him letters or email. If I find out that you are, you will end up in jail on charges of child molestation so fast you won't know which way is up."_

"_I've never laid a hand on Tyler nor has Jason. He's my brother Russell."_

"_Not anymore he's not. As of today, you have no family. Now get out."_

_They left in silence. Only once they arrived back at Jason's did Tommy allow himself to cry. The next few days were spent making decisions about what to do. It helped that both he and Jason were in college with Jason having an apartment of his own. The restrictions Russell had given them about Tyler, however, required a few changes. Jason had been his karate instructor for the past 4 years, having gone to Geneva and returning after only a few months a little over 2 years ago. Now, he turned that job over to Rocky, taking over one of the other advanced classes instead. _

_One of the other changes made was asking the others to help them watch out for Tyler since they couldn't actively do it themselves. For a few months, things were okay. That all changed when Rocky was helping Tyler out with some extra sparring practice in preparation for a tournament. During one of Rocky's throws, Tyler landed on his side and didn't get back up. When Rocky was checking him out, he noticed several bruises that looked like someone had hit the boy. Tyler refused to tell him what had happened and left. It was almost two weeks before Tyler came back to the dojo and even then he refused to change in the locker rooms. Without Tyler talking, there was nothing they could do except be there for him when he needed them._

_It was two years of hell before Jason finally convinced him to move to Reefside. Tommy had told Rocky to let it slip to Tyler where they were going to be living and what the address was in case something happened. They'd heard from a few people that some of the bruises that Tyler was getting were from him trying to convince Russell to let him see his brother._

The fact that Tyler had been getting beat for wanting to see him both angered Tommy and made him feel guilty. He knew, deep down, that the only person that was really to blame was their step-father. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before easing Tyler back into a sitting position just before Jason came back into the room.

"Brought some stuff to clean the stitches with and something to wrap his hand and ribs along with some ointment for the welts." He set the items on the nightstand and looked at Tyler. "Did the doctors give you something for infection?"

Tyler snorted before he raised an eyebrow at Jason. "Check my jeans pocket?"

Leaving the room, Jason went to the bathroom and checked the pockets of Tyler's jeans. He came out with more than just antibiotics. Frowning, he read over the bottles and swallowed hard before he went back into the room.

"Why migraine meds Tyler?" He set the bottles on the nightstand, watching as Tommy read through the labels.

"Because I've had a total of four concussions in the past 18 months. Probably another one now thanks to that asshole. That and the stress of dealing with the crap at home built up until I collapsed one day at school. Didn't regain consciousness for almost 2 days and by then the doctors had determined why I collapsed and that I'd probably have migraines for the rest of my life." He nodded slightly at the remaining two bottles. "The other two are a painkiller and a muscle relaxer for the bruised ribs and pulled muscle in my lower back that I got the other day along with the stitches."

Shaking his head, Jason set about taking care of the teen's injuries. His years of treating his own injuries along with the first aid, EMT and Paramedic courses he'd taken plus his 2 years as a Paramedic were definitely of a benefit in situations like these. "Well, I don't think your ribs are just bruised any longer. From what I can tell you have a couple that are at the least cracked, probably broken. You should probably see a doctor Ty."

"They'll call Russell and I'm not going back to him. I'm only 14, over 6 months from being 15, Jase. He's still my guardian."

"What if he wasn't?" Tommy asked, helping his brother into a loose T-shirt, boxers and pair of sweatpants.

"Then I could die a happy person." He sighed as they helped him lay down. "I don't want to go home Tommy."

Jason looked over at his lover, then nodded his head slightly. "I'll call Rocky tomorrow. See if he can get the order of protection and emergency guardianship papers done as soon as possible." He handed Tyler a round of his meds along with some Tylenol and helped him sit up a bit. "Take these and get some rest little brother."

It had been a long while since Jason had called him that and it made him feel safe. Taking the meds, Tyler took hold of his brother's hand and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for letting me stay."

Tommy leaned over and kissed his forehead softly. "I would never make you leave Tyler, not if I had a say in things. You know that." He pulled the covers into place. "Get some rest. We're just down the hall if you need us."

"Okay." He closed his eyes, the meds catching up to him quickly as he drifted off to sleep.

The two lovers were silent as they made their way down the hall and entered their own room. It wasn't until they were laying down, wrapped in each others arms, that Tommy started crying softly. "God Jase, what has that bastard done to my little brother?"

"It's over Tommy. Even if we have to ask Anton for help, we won't let Tyler go back to him. I promise." He laid a chaste kiss against his lover's mouth. "Now get some rest. I think we're both going to need it in the next few days."

Nodding his head slightly, Tommy closed his eyes, drifting off into the depths of sleep. Only once he was sure his boyfriend was asleep did Jason allow himself give in to his body's demands for sleep.


	3. Chp 3 Startling Revelations

Standard disclaimer still applies.

Thanks for those that have read and reviewed. Also, thanks to those that have added me or the story to their favorites. It is truly appreciated.

Does contain descriptions of child abuse. While the actual operation of Child Services may not be like I have portrayed it, sometimes what you see is a better representation. My portrayal is based off of personal and/or acquaintance's experience.

Chp 3

Rocky DeSantos had done what most of his friends thought was impossible: he grew up. Granted, he still acted like a big kid at times, but he had finished school and gotten his Master's degree in Social Work. Then, he'd gotten a job with the California Department of Children's Services. Now, he did his job as a social worker during the day and in the evenings and on weekends, he taught at the dojo. There were many times that he offered scholarships to some of his charges so that they could have a release for some of their pent up anger or to help their self-esteem. Those were often times his best students and the ones to make the most dramatic changes in their life.

One of the most frustrating parts of his job involved abused children. A person could suspect things all they wanted, but unless you had or could get proof that the abuse was occurring, his hands were tied. Sometimes, even that didn't help if the people being accused knew the strings to pull. A file would get opened, questions would be asked of teachers, friends, family and neighbors, but if nothing could be substantiated, the child remained where they were.

Tyler Johnson-Oliver, brother of one of his best friends, almost a brother to a former teammate and one of his own students, was such a case. They had all suspected the teen was being abused and had thought that for a couple of years, but they had no proof that couldn't be explained away by Ty's participation in karate and other forms of martial arts plus baseball and football.

As his sensei, Rocky had watched the boy grow into a teen that on the mats, showed his brother's fighting spirit and extraordinary talent. Out of the dojo, Tyler was quiet and kept to himself. He had few, if any, friends and refused to change in the locker rooms. It was a dramatic change from the exuberant 10 year old of four years ago who had to be in the middle of everything.

A lot of that change had to do with Ty being unable to see or talk to his older brother or Jason, his first sensei aside from Tommy. He'd watched, unable to do anything, as Tyler started sporting more bruises than what he could have gotten in class or at school. Until the teen said something to someone, or he was seen being hit, Rocky couldn't help him no matter how much he wanted to protect the boy.

When Tyler didn't show for class this morning, he knew that something was wrong. It had been months since Ty had missed a class and then the teen had been sick, which several of the students had been able to verify when asked. Even when the dojo moved to a larger location in Reefside and Tyler started taking the commuter bus to class, the teen had still showed. Rocky knew for a fact that Russell was unaware that they'd moved or that Ty was now taking classes in the same city that his brother lived in. They still didn't see each other on a regular basis, but he and Adam had made sure that Tyler knew how to get to his brother's place. Tyler missing class today, and no one being able to give any reason why, had been the last straw. Picking up the phone, he dialed Jason's number and waited for someone to pick up.

Jason groaned as he rolled over to answer the phone. Tyler had been up twice during the night throwing up. He'd finally settled down a couple of hours ago and they'd all gone back to sleep.

"What?" He snapped, not bothering to open his eyes and check the caller ID.

Rocky snorted. "Someone's a grouch this morning."

"Rocky? What's going on man?" He sat up a bit while Tommy rolled his eyes and climbed out of the bed, heading for the bathroom.

"Not much. Actually Jase, I'm calling because Tyler wasn't in class today. I think something might be wrong."

"Considering he's in our guest room with a fever of 102, possibly broken ribs and several other injuries? Yeah, I'd say something's wrong."

"When did he get there Jason?" His tone grew serious as he started taking notes, the case worker in him coming out immediately.

Jason sighed, then told Rocky everything about the night before and earlier this morning.

"I was going to call my dad later, see if he can't get us something, at least temporarily, so we can get him in to see a doctor."

"How about I get you something more permanent? Well, it'd be temporary for right now, but you'd have it within the hour."

"That'd be great Rocky. And it'd set our minds at ease."

"I'll get to work on it and call you back. When the order comes in, take him to Reefside General and talk to a Dr. Mark Douglas. He's a pediatrician there who specializes in treating abused children. I'll meet you guys there with the paperwork and some of Tyler's clothes." He was quiet for a few moments. "I've had a file going on him for 2 years now Jase, but nothing I could entirely prove. Now, things are probably going to move fast. You three are going to have to be ready for it."

"Trust me, Rocko, we've been ready for this for a few years now. And thanks again, man."

"No problem. Give Tyler and Tommy my best. Talk to you in a bit." Almost as soon as he hung up, Rocky was back on the phone. This time, he was going to make sure that the person who needed help actually got it when they needed it the most.

Three hours later found Tommy, Jason and Rocky in a private waiting room of Reefside General with Dr. Mark Douglas. He'd finally finished the necessary tests and exam of Tyler only a few minutes before. Now, he was going over the results of those tests.

"The good news is Tyler has not been sexually molested. If he had been, that'd be a whole other ball of wax. As it stands, he has three broken ribs on his left side, two cracked ones on his right and several more are deeply bruised. Right now, his whole chest is one big bruise which is going to make the bronchitis he's developed extremely painful. The cut to his shoulder was infected, but we've removed a couple of the stitches and are going to leave them out so it can drain. He does have a mild concussion, but the rest of the welts are all superficial and shouldn't cause him anymore problems. I am a little concerned about his right knee."

Tommy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We did an MRI as part of his tests and it shows some minor tearing along with some deep scarring in the ligaments of his right knee. It almost looks like the ligaments were torn at one time, but maybe not completely. Either way, they've healed, but there's a lot of scar tissue that could cause him problems later on, especially if he plans to continue in the martial arts. Right now, it's swollen and inflamed which is another reason why we ran the MRI."

Rocky chuckled softly at that. "I don't think he's going to want to stop anytime soon, however, I know that until you release him, he'll be unable to practice at the dojo. Adam might remember better if he hurt his knee while at a competition or the dojo."

Jason nodded. "Any suggestions about how to help Ty with his knee?"

"Since he's already going to need several weeks for his ribs to heal, I'd suggest getting permission to go ahead and operate to clean out some of the built up scar tissue. It's a simple procedure and by the time his ribs are healed, he should be able to go back to his normal routine, albeit at a reduce pace for a few weeks until he's built his stamina and leg strength back up."

Tommy was quiet for a few minutes, then nodded. "When can you do this?"

Mark grinned at him. "I've got a brother who's an orthopedist here. He's already examined Tyler and cleared a spot for him this afternoon if you agree."

Rocky looked over at the two. "Since he's still under the care of the State, until the order becomes official, we'll cover all his hospital expenses for this. In the long run, this will probably be better for him and actually reduce his medical care later on."

Nodding, Mark looked over at Tommy and Jason. "Rocky's right about that. Tyler's young and active. Those two points right there are in his favor of this being a success and allowing him to lead a normal life. If you do agree to the surgery, and everything goes off okay, I don't have a problem releasing Tyler to your care tomorrow afternoon."

Jason gently squeezed his lover's hand. "It'll be easier on him to do it now and get it over with while he has other things keeping him down."

Sighing softly, Tommy nodded. "I know. Just kinda wondering how he injured his knee in the first place." He looked over at Mark. "Let's go ahead and schedule him, but I want Jason and I to be the ones to tell him."

"I'll make the necessary arrangements," Mark stated, getting to his feet. "Jack said he had a spot open at 2pm, so they'll probably be in around 12:30 to take Tyler up for prep."

Rocky got to his feet along with Jason and Tommy. "Thanks again Mark." He shook the older man's hand.

"It's not a problem," the doctor replied, "Besides, I owe you one for helping us find Christina." He left them to go take care of things.

When the doctor was gone, Rocky looked at the other two and nodded towards the seats. "Okay, now we need to talk."

Tommy chuckled softly. "Sorry Rocko, but it's still taking a bit of getting used to seeing you like this."

"I know what you mean. Aisha still gives me the same kinda look every once in a while, but I like being able to help the kids. More times than not it's really frustrating, but then you finally get the break that you need, like with Tyler, and you can actually turn a bad situation good."

Jason nodded. "I'm glad you've found something you enjoy." He re-took his seat along with Tommy. "So what do you need to talk to us about?"

Rocky set a file on the table and opened it. "These are all the reports of suspected abuse that we've had filed on Tyler's behalf. Until five months ago, I wasn't his case worker and almost all of these were settled with 'not enough information to substantiate' filings. Since then, I've been trying to get evidence that Russell was physically abusing him. Most of what I've gotten is from doctor's reports about possible suspicious injuries and notes from his teachers about missed classes. Plus, the roll book from the dojo about the classes he's missed there and the pictures that were taken during his impromptu visit."

He was quiet for a few moments. Each and every time that Tyler hadn't been in class, fear had seized him that he was going to be called by the cops to say that Ty had been killed. Since he had an active file of sorts on the teen, and many of the cops knew Tyler through Rocky, it would have been inevitable that he was called. It had scared him shitless more times than not that he might have to call Tommy and tell him that Russell had killed his little brother. Looking at his friend, he let his emotions rest in his eyes.

"Tyler needs to talk to me Tommy. You and Jason can be in the room with him. For all I care you can hold him, but he needs to actually tell me that Russell was hitting him. As soon as he does, we can put the man in jail."

Leaning against Jason, Tommy watched his friend and former team mate for several minutes before slowly nodding. "All right, let's go talk to him."

An hour later, Rocky walked out of Tyler's room with Jason, both of them trying hard to rein in their emotions. Looking over at his friend, Rocky sighed. "I swear Jase, if I'd known things were going that bad for him, I would have pulled him out of there, evidence or no evidence."

Jason put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's not your fault Rocko. Seems pretty clear that Ty's gotten good at hiding things from people."

Rocky nodded slightly. "I'm going to take this stuff back to the office, get an emergency hearing for him. With what he's said, your statement as an off-duty Paramedic and Mark's statement, I'm fairly certain the emergency guardianship we got you two will be permanent within a week."

"We appreciate this Rocky." He gave the man a quick, one-armed hug. "Make sure you spend some extra time with 'Sha tonight, okay?"

"I will." He looked back at the room as he stepped back from the original Red Ranger. "Take care of them Jason." With that, he turned and started for the exit, already knowing what Jason's response would be.

As Jason watched him walk away, he found himself walking to the atrium area. Taking a seat on one of the benches, he couldn't help but think about what Tyler had just finished telling them.

In Tyler's Hospital Room

_Tyler looked over at the door as it opened, almost expecting it to either be another doctor or nurse at best and at the worst his step-dad. Then again, he'd have heard the start of World War III if Russell had shown up with 3 former Power Rangers out there, Red Rangers at that. That was the one thing he was glad his brother and the others had shared with him. Otherwise, he probably would have worried a lot more about where his brother would disappear to, sometimes for days at a time. After all, there were only so many sleep overs and study sessions that could go on for more than a day._

_When he realized that it was just Tommy, Jason and Rocky, a soft sigh escaped him, allowing his body to relax. Once he got a look at their faces, however, that tension returned and then some. _

"_You want me to tell you what's been going on at home, don't you?"_

_It was Rocky that stepped forward and broke the silence that had contained the 3 men. "I'm trying to get Tommy and Jason guardianship over you Tyler. The only way I can do that is if you talk to me. It's going to be hard, but the sooner we do this, the sooner we can stop Russell from learning anything about you from now on."_

_Tommy had gone over and taken a seat on the bed, pulling his little brother in against him. Jason had gone over to the other side of the teen and taken hold of his hand, offering his support as well._

_Taking a deep breath, Tyler had started talking. _

"_Didn't actually start hitting me for about 5 months after he tossed Tommy out. I'd been sent home from school because I wasn't feeling good. Russell thought I had just been skipping school until I puked on him. Woke up a couple of days later, not really remembering what happened, but mom said I'd been really sick with a fever. Kinda just let it go since I still felt like crap."_

_He paused for a moment, taking notice of the tape recorder that Rocky had and was using to record everything that he said as proof._

"_Couple weeks later, he tossed me down the stairs. Bruised a few ribs that ended up with me running out of the dojo during a sparring session with Rocky. He kinda backed off for a bit after that. Lasted about two months, then he started in again. For the most part, the bruises were easy to hide and I could brush them off as being gotten at the dojo or during football and even baseball. Part of the reason I stopped changing in the locker room there."_

_It was then that he looked up at Tommy for a moment before leaning more against his brother._

"_Then when you two moved to Reefside, he started getting worse. Said that he had to 'beat the taint' out of me and 'make sure I was a man instead of a fag'. There were times I'd have to miss a couple days of school because I couldn't move from the pain of the welts. Think that's when he started using his shaving strap more than his fists. Mom wasn't much help. She tried once, but when he practically raped her on the kitchen table in front of me, she stopped trying. Couple times she begged me not to provoke him, but when I never knew what would set him off it was hard. Then one day, about a week after I got back from staying with you guys, she actually slapped me when I told her we needed to leave. She said that Russell loved her and if I would give him a chance, he'd love me too. That's probably when I realized that she had stopped fighting for me."_

_Jason picked that moment to say something and looked over at Rocky before he spoke, getting the nod first._

"_Ty, someone said that you were getting hit because you asked to visit Tommy. Is that true?"_

"_Last six months or so, yeah. I've been trying to get him to let me at least talk to him or write him a letter. Even tried writing the letter and giving it to someone else to mail, but he found out about it. Grabbed the letter out of the guy's mailbox and made me hold it above my head while he hit me a dozen or so times with his strap. Couple of weeks ago, he started pushing me to quit taking karate lessons. Said that they weren't teaching me anything but how to take it up the ass like my fag brother. Course, I had never told him the dojo moved to Reefside, especially since the building that you guys first had is another dojo. I didn't say anything about what he said, but then a few days ago, when he buried the slide lock to the door in my shoulder, I knew that if I didn't get out of there soon, he'd probably kill me."_

_Rocky spoke next, needing to know what drove the teen to finally run. "Why did you leave yesterday Tyler?"_

"_He pulled a knife on me. School had let out early for the holidays and I dropped my bag by the door to hang up my coat. Never even saw him until I hit the ground and was looking up after he kicked me in the ribs. Guess when I was still conscious after half an hour of him beating me, he took it as an insult and pulled the knife. That's when I hit him. It's the first time I've ever even tried to fight back. As soon as he hit the ground, I got out of there and caught the commuter bus to Reefside. My cellphone and extra cash were in my jacket pocket, so I walked from town out to Tommy's."_

_Tommy held him close, tears in both of their eyes as Jason picked up the tale._

"_When he knocked on the door, we were wondering who it could be. Visitors after dark, especially during the rain, are not that common for us. It was a definite shock to see him on the other side of the door and then his knees gave way. Somehow I managed to catch him before he actually hit the ground. __We got him inside, cleaned up and I took care of the injuries that I could treat immediately."_

"_Which were what?" Rocky wanted Jason's opinion as a Nationally Registered and State licensed Paramedic for his report._

"_He was running a fever of 101 with obvious signs of infection from a set of 3 day old stitches on the upper posterior portion of his right shoulder. Several of his ribs were cracked at the least, possibly broken on both sides of the upper to middle portion of his ribcage. Numerous cuts and welts, mostly superficial, covered his upper torso, arms, upper thighs and lower legs. Due to his exposure to the night time temperatures and rain, he was slightly hypothermic while suffering from a mild concussion. During the night, he suffered two bouts of nausea with vomiting and then he was brought in for further treatment this morning."_

_After Jason had finished, there was silence, broken only by the soft sobs and whispered assurances coming from the two brothers. Wordlessly, Jason nodded his head at Rocky, inviting him out into the hallway._

Jason sighed as he got to his feet and started back towards Tyler's room. His lover was going to need him a lot in the coming days, not to mention the young teen he thought of as a little brother. And he was bound and determined to be there not only for Tommy, but for Tyler as well.


	4. Chp 4 Hospital Attacks

Standard disclaimer applies. The only character that I own is Tyler.

Sorry it's been a while since I updated this story. Had to get another one out of my system first.

Chp 4

Tyler sighed as he flipped through the channels on the hospital TV. The surgery for his knee had barely taken two hours and he'd been awake for a little over an hour. His brother and Jason had been with him once he woke up, but he'd managed to convince Tommy to go get something to eat with Jason. It wasn't like he was totally alone and he knew that his brother would be back before long. Now, however, without someone to actually talk to, boredom was setting in fast and the choice of programming positively sucked.

Turning the TV off, he decided to try and get some rest before the nurses or Mark came in to poke and prod at him some more. Closing his eyes, he could feel himself drifting off almost immediately.

Russell Johnson watched the hallways as he waited for a chance to slip into his step-son's room. The little bastard had told someone from Children's Services a bunch of lies and the boy needed to pay because of it. Truthfully, if it wasn't for a friend of his that worked downstairs in admitting, Russell might never have known that Tyler was in the hospital in Reefside. Then again, it was only fitting that the little brat run to his fag of a brother for protection.

From his hiding spot, Russell had watched the two queers head off, leaving the boy alone, but that had been about half an hour ago and if he remembered anything about his oldest step-son, it was that Tommy didn't like to leave his brother alone for long if the boy was sick or hurting. Now was going to be his only chance to get his revenge on Tyler. Not seeing anyone around, Russell realized that now was the perfect time. Leaving his hiding spot, Russell made his way to Tyler's room and slipped inside.

When the door clicked shut behind him, he closed the blinds and made his way over to the resting teen. From behind his back he drew a hunting knife. The boy would die, but it would be far from a quick death. Moving quickly, his hand clamped down hard over the boy's mouth before slamming the knife hilt-deep into the teen's shoulder.

Tyler's eyes flew open as the hand settled over his mouth before widening in shock and fear as he saw who it was only moments before the pain engulfed him. Hot tears sprang to his eyes as the man above him twisted the blade in his shoulder. Instinctively, his good hand shot towards Russell's, trying to get the man to stop.

Russell grinned as he leaned down, pushing in on the knife. "Keep fighting me boy and I'll make your death that much slower."

Tommy frowned as he and Jason started down the hall to Tyler's room. They'd eaten in the hospital cafeteria, neither of them wanting to be that far from Tyler. Now, he felt like something was wrong, but couldn't quite place it.

Jason looked over at his lover, feeling him tense up as their shoulders touched. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Something just feels off." The older Oliver didn't get a chance to elaborate as a familiar voice cut him off.

"Tommy!" They both turned to see Rocky walking quickly towards them along with two police officers.

"What's up Rock?" Jason asked, frowning at the seriousness of his friend's face.

" Russell wasn't home when we went to pick him up. We did, however, find Rebecca." He sighed heavily. "She was beaten up pretty badly, Tommy and the doctors don't think that she's going to make. I'm sorry man. Right now, we're going to put Tyler into protective custody until Russell can be found and caught. You two, Mark, me and a few nurses and techs are going to be the only ones allowed into his room until that time. For now, these officers are going to be standing guard outside his room."

Tommy nodded. "We were on our way back there, so let's go see him."

As soon as they rounded the corner and saw the blinds closed, all of them knew that something was wrong. Without saying anything, Tommy ran into the room only to stop in shock at the sight before him.

Russell rocked the blade back and forth in the boy's shoulder, watching as the tears continued to fall from the brown eyes.

"I'm going to kill you just like I killed that slut you called mom. Or I'm going to make you wish you were dead. First, I'm going to make sure you will never be able to do what you enjoy so much ever again." He pulled the knife free of his step-son's shoulder, watching as the blood flowed from the wound.

Grinning maliciously, his next attack on the teen was accompanied by a pain filled scream from behind him as his oldest step-son joined the party. "Well, looks like we have company." As Russell finished speaking, he slammed the knife home, embedding it once again to the hilt, this time in the teen's groin. That was the last thing he got to do as he was tackled to the floor.

Tyler's scream as the knife plunged into his body the second time is what got Tommy moving. The distance to his brother's bed was covered in only a few strides as he launched himself at Russell. For an instant, Tommy thought that the man was out cold until he felt the fist connect with his ribs. Grunting softly, he rolled to the side before getting to his feet while his step-father did the same.

Jason had moved to Tyler's side, needing to be there for the teen and to keep him from removing the knife while Rocky went for a doctor. The two officers had called in what was going on, requesting additional units while they waited for the chance to enter the room without putting the patient at risk.

The teen grabbed onto Jason, holding him as tight as possible with his good arm, groaning as the older man applied pressure to the wound in his shoulder. Tyler closed his eyes as the room spun, still keeping a tight grip on his former teacher.

Russell growled as he took another swing at Tommy. The boy always had been too much of a do-gooder for him and right now he was starting to regret not bringing a gun. If he had, then both of the bastards would be dead.

For Tommy, nothing seemed to exist except the figure in front of him that had caused his family so much pain. The years of abuse that Tyler had suffered at this man's hands could never be erased and for that Tommy felt guilty, however, that was in the past. Now, he had the chance to get a little payback.

It took ten minutes before the officers could find an opening and enter the room. By that time, their prisoner was unconscious on the floor and bleeding from several cuts on his face. Any sympathy they might have felt for the man had fled as he continually hurled verbal insults at the teen that laid in the bed. Once they had the man in custody, he was loaded onto a gurney and wheeled from the room, finally allowing the doctor and nurses that were waiting to treat the teen inside.

Jason looked over as Tommy joined them, trembling slightly from anger, fear and probably a little shock at seeing his brother like this. When Mark practically shoved him out of the way, Jason took his lover off to the side and made him sit down out of the way.

"Mark's taking care of him Tom, but you need to sit down and get yourself together." He waited until the chocolate pools finally met his before reaching out and gently brushing away a small rivulet of blood from the corner of his lover's mouth.

Tommy just nodded as he watched the doctor work, but tried to stand when they started pushing Tyler's bed out of the room.

Mark Douglas stopped in front of them as the techs continued to wheel Tyler out of the room and towards the elevator. "Tommy, I need to take your brother back up to surgery. From what I can see, the knife is either extremely close to his femoral artery or actually in it. If it's in the artery, then that knife is the only thing keeping him from bleeding to death right now. We also have to repair his shoulder." He laid a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"For now, the cops are probably going to want to talk to you, but I want you to rest in the room next door. I've told them that I'll let them know when you're up to giving them a statement. This morning wasn't a picnic and after that fight just now, I would rather you stay healthy than become another patient." He looked at Jason. "I'll have one of the nurses bring you in a few items to clean him up. Figure he'll be more comfortable with you than someone else." With that, he left the room, leaving the two alone.

For a few minutes, there was only silence in the room as both young men took in what had been said. Then Tommy suddenly shot to his feet and ran to the bathroom that was thankfully in the room. The contents of his stomach soon found their way into the toilet, leaving him leaning against Jason who was sitting beside him. Carefully, he took the cup of water the other man handed him and rinsed his mouth out, spitting it into the toilet before flushing it and resting against his lover.

"I almost lost him Jase. If we'd come back in a few moments later, Tyler would probably be dead right now."

"I know, but he's not Tommy and while it might take him a while to recover from this, you have to think that he's going to be okay."

"Just hard. God Jason, hearing him scream like that." He shook his head. "I felt like my heart was being pulled out of my chest and I wanted to kill whoever was causing him that kind of pain." Shivering slightly, the former Ranger tried to burrow closer to his boyfriend.

"Come on, let's get you laying down for a bit." Carefully, he helped Tommy to his feet, steadying him as he swayed slightly then led him to the room next door and over to the bed before helping him into it.

Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, his lover was asleep. Sighing softly, Jason covered him up and took a seat next to him, waiting for what was to come next.

It was close to midnight before Mark Douglas entered the room. Tyler's former room was now part of a crime scene and the younger Oliver had originally been scheduled to move into this new room.

Looking at the two young man who now occupied that bed brought a slight smile to the doctor's tired countenance. His staff had checked on them several times and even though Mark was technically a pediatrician, he still did some general medicine for all ages, so he'd made sure that both young men had been fed and looked after by the nurses. Somehow, he didn't think it had been much of a hardship, especially for the women, after hearing what had happened.

Shaking his head, he walked over and gently shook Jason awake even as Rocky DeSantos came into the room, rubbing tiredly at his own eyes. "Jason, need you to wake up now."

Slowly, Jason opened his eyes, then remembered where he was and sat up quickly. "Is Tyler okay?"

"He's holding his own. Right now, he's still in recovery and could be there for a few more hours." Mark noticed that Tommy was awake and listening to him almost as soon as Jason had mentioned Tyler's name. "The knife was in fact stopping Tyler from bleeding out of his femoral artery. It took us a bit to actually get the wound closed and start replacing the blood he'd lost. The rest of the wound itself is mainly muscle tissue. It's going to take a while to heal, but as long as the sutures hold for the graft we've placed in his artery, there shouldn't be a problem."

"What about his shoulder?" This came from Rocky as he moved closer to the bed.

"The knife went all the way through Tyler's shoulder and chipped his collarbone. It did a lot of muscle and tissue damage. From the looks of it, Russell twisted the blade a few times while it was in there. We removed the fragment of bone, fixed the rest of the wound and closed it before immobilizing his arm. Tyler's going to need some serious physical therapy to help that shoulder heal properly. Karate's good, but absolutely no sparring until I say otherwise. As it gets closer to him actually being able to resume a routine, I'll give you a list of what he can and cannot do."

Jason watched the doctor closely and knew that he wasn't telling them something. "What else?"

"I'm moving Tyler to ICU for a few days. I want to keep him sedated so that the sutures holding that artery together have a chance to take and the wound starts to heal. The only way to do that is to ensure that he doesn't move around." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Right now, I've got your brother connected to a ventilator while we're using the paralytics. Tomorrow afternoon, depending on how he's doing, I'll start to wean him off of those and onto regular sedation. While he's out, we're also giving him a stronger, broad spectrum antibiotic to help combat the bronchitis and fight off any other infection he might have picked up."

"Can we see him?" Tommy asked, sitting up in the bed.

"Once we get him settled into ICU, I'll let you in to see him. Until then, you can rest in here. After you see him, I want you to go home, get a decent meal and don't come back for at least 8 hours." He waited until he got a nod in response. "All right then. I'll talk to you later." Mark left, heading back up to recovery to check on his patient.

Rocky sighed as he looked at his two friends. "I hate to be the bearer of anymore bad news, but Rebecca passed away about an hour ago. She never came around. Russell confessed to beating her and is now facing manslaughter charges in addition to attempted murder and the child abuse charges. I'm sorry, Tommy."

"It's not your fault Rocky. I appreciate you telling me and handling Tyler's case."

"Well, since Rebecca was his last parent left alive and you're willing to take him in, your custody of him will be permanent by the end of the week. I'm required to monitor things for the next year, but after that I'll finally get to close his file."

"Thanks again Rocky." Jason watched as their friend fought down a yawn. "Maybe you should get home. I'm pretty sure that Aisha is waiting for you."

"Yeah, she probably is waiting up for me. I'll see you two later." Walking out of the room, Rocky sighed. Despite the fact that Tyler had lost his mom and the additional attack that he'd suffered through, things were looking up for the teen.

Tommy laid back, pulling Jason with him. "Can't believe that mom's gone, Russell's in jail and Tyler got stabbed while in the hospital."

"He's going to be okay Tommy. It's going to take a while for him to physically heal, but at least he won't be alone through it. We're going to be there for him and I'm going to be there for you, every step of the way."

Looking into his lover's eyes, the oldest Oliver sighed. "How'd I get lucky enough to find you?"

"You didn't, we found each other." Kissing his boyfriend softly, Jason kept it light, then pulled Tommy in to rest against him. "Get some rest until Mark comes back."

"Only if you do."

"Told you, I'm going to be right here." A soft kiss to the top of the brunette's head finished his statement as he felt Tommy relax and drift off once again. Moments later he let himself fall asleep as well.


	5. Chp 5 Recovering

Standard disclaimer still applies. Only own Tyler and Austin. Definitely not making any money off of this.

Sorry for the delay. Should have another chapter up soon.

Chp 5

Adam Park walked into the hospital and headed towards the elevators. He'd been here at least once a day since coming back from his honeymoon with Tanya and finding that Tyler Oliver had been attacked by his step-father in the hospital and that his mom was dead. That had been almost two weeks ago.

Until three days ago, Tyler had remained either sedated or unconscious. A high fever due to infection had kept the teen out of things, but now he was finally on the road to recovery.

Stepping out onto the floor, he caught sight of Jason and Tommy out in the hall and headed in that direction. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, the doctor's with him right now." Tommy said, running a hand through his hair. "Ty's starting to get a bit anxious about wanting out of here."

Jason chuckled softly. "Sounds like someone else I know." He watched as his lover blushed slightly.

"Bit early for him to be let go, isn't it?" Adam asked, frowning slightly.

"Definitely too early." This came from Dr. Mark Douglas as he exited the room. "Don't get me wrong, he's healing but the fever took a lot out of him. I want to keep him here for at least another week, however, something tells me that I'll be lucky to keep him quiet for another few days."

"He being that difficult?"

"He's your brother Tommy, of course he's being difficult." This came from Jason, who was having trouble not grinning at the look of incredulity that had come over the doctor's face when Tommy had asked that question.

"Would it be okay if we go ahead and start working his muscles a bit?" Adam was wanting to get the teen moving again, knowing that the longer he stayed inactive the harder and longer it was going to be for him to get back to where he was before all of this happened.

"Just be careful of his right leg." Mark shook his head. "Part of me is glad that he was stabbed in the same leg that he'd just had surgery on and part of me wishes it had been the other leg. As it is, the sutures we put in to hold his femoral artery are mostly healed. I just want to make sure that they aren't stressed too quickly. For now, light flexion activity with his right leg being careful of his knee and anything you want for his left. His right arm you can do what you need to, but concentrate on the lower muscles of his left arm. We're going to keep it strapped up for about another week before he can switch to a regular sling."

Adam nodded. "Probably stick to just some massage techniques with that arm then, but I know a few things to help everything else." He was quiet for a moment. "Was the surgery on his knee because of what happened a few years ago? At that tournament?"

Tommy frowned. "What are you talking about Adam?"

"About 3 years ago, Tyler was starting to settle a bit after everything that had happened. Rocky and I entered him along with a few others into one of the local tournaments. We had Russell's permission and everything. Ty's third or fourth match into it, kid gets lucky with a sweep and twists Tyler's knee pretty good." He pointed at Tommy. "He's as stubborn as you are about fighting with an injury though. Refused to let us take him out for the last two matches. Kid was only 11 and you would have thought he was 20 the way he stared us down."

Adam paused to take a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Final match, Ty's actually got a decent shot of winning for his belt and age. The other red belt that he was fighting against was probably a year older, but his moves weren't as clean. Tyler takes the mat, they bow and start. The other kid scored the first point, but Tyler answered it with two of his own. Next thing we know, Ty's on the ground clutching his knee and the kid's having his belt ripped off of him by his Sensei. When we watched the tape, we finally understood why. Russell had showed up and was approaching the mat from behind Rocky and I. Tyler saw him and it broke his focus. The other kid took advantage of that, but while Ty was down on the ground, the kid stomped on Tyler's knee. Was almost a month before he showed back up at the dojo and from what we were able to find out Russell never took him to a doctor for it."

"That would definitely explain the scar tissue. Kinda surprised that he was able to continue from what Jack saw when he got in there."

"Rocky and I took it easy on him for about 3 months. Let him work a little more with the weights and I helped him stretch out before and after class." Adam shook his head. "Tyler was kinda like my first client."

"I take it that we can put you down for handling his physical therapy?" Mark stated, watching the Asian man's head bob slightly.

Jason spoke up then. "Tyler trusts Adam since he's know him as long as he has Rocky. It'll be easier all the way around this way, especially with him already respecting Adam from the dojo."

"Plus Tyler will be staying with Adam during the day while Jason's at work when I have to go back to the island."

Mark frowned at Tommy. "Does Tyler know about all of this?"

"And Rocky does as well." Jason stated, "Since Ty's come around, we've done some catching up from all sides." He grinned. "It's been about the only way we can keep him quiet."

"Like I said, I would like to keep him another week, but if he's still without a fever and doing better the next few days, I'll go ahead and release him to go home. I don't want him going back to school for a while, maybe not even the rest of this year. Tyler needs the chance to rest, deal with everything that's happened and recover from everything."

"All right, we'll figure a few things out. Thanks Mark." Tommy watched the man walk away as he finished, then nodded at the other two. "Let's go keep the little snot company."

Tyler looked over at the door as it opened and grinned at the three men that entered. "See Mark finally let you guys come in."

Adam ruffled the teen's hair as Tommy and Jason took seats in the recliners on the other side of the bed. "Yeah, and he said that we could start working on your muscles a bit today."

"Least it'll be something different."

"Might not be saying that when we get done today. Although if you behave, I might see if a massage will help things."

"I appreciate this Adam, especially since you could be spending time with Tanya."

"Actually, she's spending the day with Aisha. Rocky'll be by later. He's teaching a class for me at the dojo this morning. For now, let's start with your legs."

Tyler nodded and forced himself to relax as Adam started helping him work muscles that had been pretty much dormant for two weeks.

Jason watched the pair for a couple of minutes, then looked over and noticed that Tommy was asleep. Smiling softly, he laid the chair back for him, then did the same to his own. Both of them had been spending a lot of time at the hospital. He'd taken leave, but that was due to end after next week.

Hopefully, Tyler would be home by then and they could get settled into a routine. Then, maybe, Tommy could actually spend some time with his brother outside of the hospital before he had to return to the island. They also had Christmas to get ready for, especially with Tyler going to be there this year.

The island and Dr. Anton Mercer. Jason sighed and shook his head. It was a good chance for Tommy, and he had less than six months left, three if Tommy really pushed it, before he could claim his doctorate. There was just something about that Mercer guy that had Jason urging his lover to be cautious, especially now that Tyler was going to be living with them. Sighing softly, he watched Adam working with Tyler for a few more minutes before he drifted off to sleep.

Tyler groaned softly as Adam kneaded the muscles on his back. "Hate not being able to get up like I want to."

A soft chuckle escaped the older man. "Well, you're definitely staying in the right house for that since neither Jason nor Tommy like it either." He started work on particularly large knot on the teen's right side. The nurse had given him an extra pillow to put beneath Ty's shoulder so that he could work on the teen's back after their session.

Their session had been good, but he could tell that the boy had lost a lot of strength in his right leg that was going to slow him down for a while. The left shoulder was also going to be a problem once Mark cleared Ty for therapy on it. From the way things looked right now, it was going to be a few months before the teen could freely use that arm much less throw a block or punch with it.

Adam sighed. The way things were looking right now, Tyler might not be taking part in a class at the dojo for several months and they were going to have to look at another form of therapy for him. He was thinking about taking him to the pool, but that was something that he'd talk over with the three of them before setting anything up. When the door opened, Adam looked over at it, then grinned.

"At least you brought real food with you."

Rocky rolled his eyes as he set the bag down on the tray as Tommy and Jason woke up. "Just be glad that I remembered to even grab something." He walked over to the bed and grinned down at the sleeping teen. "See you haven't lost your touch."

"He deserves the rest, especially as long as it's been since Ty's actually been up and around. I worked him kinda hard trying to figure out where he stands." Adam looked over at his friends. "Ty's lost a good bit of strength in his right leg. I don't want this same problem coming back to haunt him, so we're going to take it slow and work just on flexibility for a bit with a little strength training. Him taking a class at the dojo isn't going to happen for several months though."

"Damn, and he was getting ready to test for his 2nd black." This came from Rocky as he handed out the containers of food.

"Thanks Rocko," Jason said, taking a pair and handing one to Tommy. "Kinda figured that might be the case, but we'll worry about that when we come to it. For now, we're going to have to do some shifting around at the house because Ty's never going to be able to manage those stairs by himself."

"He can use the downstairs guest room for now. There's still another room upstairs besides the one we're turning into Ty's room." Tommy stated, "Besides, I get the feeling that Mark's going to have him using a brace on that knee for a while."

Adam nodded. "Wouldn't be a bad idea and when he gets ready to start back up at the dojo, we'll see if Mark wants him to still use one, particularly on sparring days."

They finished eating in silence. Once they were done, conversation turned to other topics as they caught up on each others lives.


	6. Chp 6 Explosive Promises

Standard disclaimer still applies. Tyler is mine as are Russell and Rebecca Johnson and Dr. Mark Douglas. Any others you don't recognize are probably mine as well. Definitely not making any money here.

Apologize for the delay, but I've got 2 other stories that I'm working on currently. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, I've got back through the first 5 chapters. There are a few minor changes and additions, but mainly it was just to clean things up a bit and make the story flow easier.

Chp 6

Tyler chuckled softly as he watched his brother walk down the stairs, obviously still half asleep. He'd been home from the hospital for almost a week and Monday Tommy was heading back to the island where he was working on research for his doctorate. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of his brother going, but Tyler knew that it was a great opportunity for him. It might have made him feel a bit better if Jason and Tommy were a bit more at ease with the situation.

"Maybe you should go back to bed for a while longer."

"I'm just not a morning person."

"Like I didn't already know that?" Tyler shook his head. "There's breakfast waiting for you in the oven and Jase said he'd be home around 5 tonight."

"Thought he was teaching a class tonight?" Tommy asked, as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Rocky swapped with him because he's taking Aisha out to dinner tomorrow night for their anniversary."

Shaking his head, Tommy pulled the still warm plate out of the oven and took it over to the table along with a cup of coffee. "How do you know all of that?"

"Adam and I talk during my therapy sessions. Sometimes Rocky will drop by for lunch or one of the girls will stop in." Tyler got up from where he was sitting on the couch and made his way slowly over to the table, taking a seat across from his brother. At his appointment yesterday, Mark had fitted him with a hinged brace that limited the mobility of his knee, but allowed him to walk without a crutch. He still wasn't allowed on the stairs, so the extra bedroom downstairs was where he was sleeping.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little stiff. Adam was involved in the appointment yesterday and Mark tested my range of motion a bit before he set the limits on the hinge. Adam's got me set up to do more stretching today and then I'm going to use the hydro-tub in the training room of the dojo."

"That's this afternoon, right?" Tommy got up to put his plate in the sink after he finished eating.

"Yeah, Jason said he'd pick me up on his way home so you don't have to worry about it after your meeting with Dr. Mercer."

Watching his brother for a moment, Tommy placed a hand on his good shoulder as he came back into the dining room. "I know you don't really want me to go, but this is a good opportunity for me."

"I was just hoping to have you around a bit more after Christmas. I mean, I wasn't here for Thanksgiving, which kinda sucked. Then we kinda crammed a lot of preparation into a week to get ready for Christmas. Even then the only reason that Mark agreed to let me come home on the 23 was because Jason's crew had the lucky schedule and he was off until the 26th. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time and having Rocky, Aisha, Adam and Tanya over was great, but the time we've been able to spend together is kinda sucking."

"I'll make it up to you, kiddo, I promise."

Tyler was quiet for a few moments, then looked up at his brother. "If it's such a good opportunity, then why are you and Jason nervous about it?"

Tommy sighed and took a seat across from his little brother. Ever since Tyler had been a little kid, they'd been close despite the difference in their ages. After they'd moved to Angel Grove, more specifically after Rita's spell on him had been broken by Jason, Ty had started 'tuning in' to his moods. More than once, his little brother had saved him from getting in trouble from coming home after curfew due to his Ranger duties. It was almost like Tyler had an alert system of sorts when it came to him.

Now, it seemed as if the past four years had not dulled that sense in the least. It also meant that he couldn't lie to his brother.

"Sometimes I wonder who's the oldest." Tommy shook his head softly. "The reason why Jase and I are nervous about Anton is because he seems to be a bit obsessive about some things. Before the holidays, he was starting to ask a lot of questions that were making me uncomfortable, questions that hit a little too close to my past as a ranger."

"And if he figured out you were a ranger, then that might lead him to Jason and the others?"

"Among other things, yes. On one of our last digs, we found several gems that appear to be harnessing a lot of power. So far, I've been doing most of the work with them and have given him very little information about what I've really found out about them. The main reason that I'm going back is to finish as much as I can and get my doctorate while keeping an eye on those gems."

He'd moved closer to Tyler as he talked and took a seat next to him on the couch, pulling him into his side. "That's why Jason and I have been kind of nervous about me going back this time. Barring any complications, I should be done in six months. Then we can spend the rest of the summer together before you start school."

Tyler sighed. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

Sighing softly, Tommy hugged his brother. "I promise Tyler, I'll be careful."

3 Months Later

The Island

Dr. Thomas Oliver groaned as he was slammed once again into a tree. As he bounced off and hit the ground, he grumbled aloud. "Yeah Ty, I promise I'll be careful." He shook his head. "Should have known that was asking for trouble." With a loud 'ki yah', he attacked the Tyrannodrones while trying to get away and off the island before everything exploded.

The fight to get away from them seemed to last forever, but as he finally broke into a run, realized that it had barely been ten minutes. Explosions behind him encouraged him to run faster. He came to a stop a few feet from the edge and sighed. "Not good." Another round of explosions, this time closer, helped propel him away from the island as he dove off into the ocean.

After making his way to the surface, he grabbed hold of the first piece of floating debris he could find knowing that it might be a while before he was rescued. That was one of the benefits of knowing as many Ranger teams as he did: someone was always watching.

Reefside, CA

Same time

RBW Karate Academy

Tyler grinned as he faced off against Rocky. The dojo wasn't open for classes, but Rocky and Adam were helping him get back into shape. Jason was in the back working on paperwork for the upcoming belt tests. It had only been two weeks since Mark had cleared him to start sparring again, but only with one of the three adults or Tommy. Students still had a hard time controlling themselves when they were found to be on the losing end of things.

Bowing to his Sensei, he dropped into a modified fighting stance. His knee was still a little weak even with the brace, so they'd changed the stance a little. This was the first time that he was actually going to get to try it out. Without warning, he dropped to the mat and swept Rocky's feet out from under him before kipping up and going back into stance.

Rocky hit the mat hard and just laid there for a moment. He'd forgotten how sneaky the younger Oliver was and that had come back to bite him in the ass.

Adam chuckled softly. "Thought you were ready for this Rocko? I mean, Ty there hasn't sparred in a while so I figured you'd be able to take him."

"Watch it Frog boy." Shaking his head, Rocky got back to his feet and looked at the grinning teen. "Okay, that one is a freebie. You're going to have to work for the rest."

Tyler shrugged. "Not afraid of hard work, but Adam's more of a challenge than you are."

The one time Red Ranger rolled his eyes. "Always with the quips." He settled into the sparring session with the teen, judging both his ability and his fitness for the tasks he was being asked to do.

Adam watched the pair for a few minutes, then walked back to the office Jason was working in and knocked on the open door frame. "You want to come out and see if Ty should be included in that group for the belt tests?"

Jason looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. "He making Rocky work?"

"Just a little." The Asian grinned. "Landed Rocko flat on his ass with a leg sweep first move then kipped back up into that modified stance we taught him."

"Not sure kipping is a good thing for his knee right now, or his shoulder."

"Ty might pay for it a little bit once he settles back down, but it's a good test to see where he's at. Plus, he used more of his right arm for the push off. You could see it when he went up, but he recovered nicely."

Getting to his feet, Jason started making his way around the desk. "Physical ability aside, do you think he's ready for his next stripe?"

"Next stripe, definitely. Do I think he's ready for his next rank, which would move him up to a 2nd degree black belt? Not right now. I want to make sure that his head is back in the right place before we give him more responsibility since moving up in rank moves him to a junior instructor as well."

"Sounds like you've already been thinking about this."

"Rocky and I have both talked about it. We're both still hesitant to even let him practice with the advanced class because there are times when his head just isn't in the game. Right now, I think that part of the problem is that he's worried about Tommy."

"He's not the only one." Jason sighed. "I just can't shake the feeling that something is going on with that Mercer guy and we should all be a—-"

Whatever else he was going to say was interrupted by an indistinguishable shout from the dojo. Frowning at each other, they started in that direction.

Tyler had sparred with Rocky for another five or ten minutes after Adam left before the session turned into work on an advanced kata. He was watching as Rocky performed the next section when he started swaying where he stood.

As Rocky finished the section, he turned back to see if Tyler had understood it only to find the teen swaying in place. "Whoa!" Moving quickly, he stepped to the boy's side. "Easy Ty." Before he could steady him, Tyler collapsed groaning slightly.

"Jason! Adam!" He dropped to his knees beside the teen. "Tyler? Come on Ty, talk to me."

Jason broke into a run when he heard Rocky shout and felt his heart rise up into his throat when he saw Tyler on the mat. Kneeling beside the pair, he looked at Rocky. "What happened?"

"We were working on a kata. I turned back to him after showing him the next section and he was swaying where he stood. Next thing I know, he's on the ground."

Adam made his way over to the group. "Jason? Want me to call an ambulance?"

"No!" This came not from the Paramedic of the group, but from Tyler as he latched onto Jason's arm. He was sweating heavily and shaking. "Need to--" Pausing, he swallowed hard. "Call Carter. Something... something happened...." He started crying softly, but managed to choke out the next part of what he needed to say. "Tommy's hurt."

Frowning, Jason didn't even think about arguing with the teen. "Okay, we'll call them, but you need to relax kiddo." He moved to pick him up, intent on carrying him into the office, but stopped when Tyler groaned and turned to his side, throwing up on the mat. When the teen was finished, Jason picked him up carefully.

Rocky shook his head. "I'll get that Jason." He looked at Adam. "Help them and I'll be there after I put up the closed sign."

Adam went ahead, making sure the office door was wide open and removed the jacket that was on the couch.

Jason followed him, gently setting Tyler down on the couch before looking up at his friend. "Grab my kit out of the car."

"No problem Jase." Adam left, jogging out to the back parking lot. Once outside, he forced himself to take a deep breath. When they were all still rangers, Tyler had covered for them a few times. He'd asked the brothers about it one time after the younger boy had heard them arrive in Tommy's bedroom only to suddenly step out into the hall and make his way down to the bathroom with a heavier stride than normal. The action had stopped the adults from coming to see what the noise had been as Rocky slammed his leg into the bed. Tommy had just shrugged and said that it was something Tyler had been doing lately.

They'd asked Tyler about it and he was quiet for a few minutes before he finally admitted that sometimes he could feel when Tommy was anxious about something or even really upset. It was only later that the boy had admitted that he sometimes felt it when his brother would get hurt in battle. So, today's actions, while something he hadn't encountered in several years, were hardly a surprise.

Shaking his head, he grabbed Jason's jump kit and took it back into the office. When he got back, Rocky was wiping the teen's face off while Jason was on the phone.

"I don't have exact co-ordinates for you Carter, but if you scan for his bio-signature you should be able to find him easily." He was quiet for a few moments. "No, as soon as I check Tyler over we're going to be on our way there. Go ahead and take Dana though. Ty seems to think that his brother might be hurt. We definitely know he's in the water." Again there was silence from the former leader. "I'm willing to go with Tyler on this one Carter. He's been right before."

Adam set the bag down by the couch and put a hand on Rocky's shoulder. "Get changed and I'll take over for you."

Rocky nodded, handing him the rag. "He's thrown up twice more. Jason thinks it's partly adrenaline overload."

Nodding, he took a seat on the edge of the couch that held the teen, who was watching him with slightly glazed eyes. "Jason's talking to Carter now, Ty. Then we're going, okay?"

Tyler just nodded and started to close his eyes, but a shake to his shoulder stopped him and his eyes shot open again.

"I don't want you going to sleep just yet Tyler." Jason stated, taking Adam's place on the couch. "Still feeling nauseous?" Using his penlight, he checked the teen's pupils, noting that they were a bit sluggish in responding and that he flinched from the light.

"Yeah, head's starting to hurt, too."

Looking up at Adam, Jase shook his head. "Do you have any of his meds here?"

"If you're talking about the ones he uses for migraines, yeah. It was one of the things Tommy wanted us to keep on hand. I've got both the pills and the stuff for injections."

"Good, grab me a vial of the injectable." He turned back to Tyler and started taking the teen's vitals. "Carter is sending out a team. He's also calling Wes and Eric. I don't know if you've met them yet, but they'll help if we need it. For now, we're going to get you situated then head out to Lightspeed Rescue's headquarters."

Adam came back with both the medicine and the boy's clothes. "Here ya go Jase."

"Thanks Adam." He set the vial aside for a moment. "Tyler, I need to know if anything else hurts."

"Pretty much sore all over, but nothing really hurts." He went white again and tried to turn to his side.

Seeing what was happening, Jason turned him onto his side and held the trash can in place, sighing softly when the teen just dry heaved. He rubbed gentle circles on his back until he was finished, then helped Ty lay back once more.

"All right, let's get you changed and then while Rocky and Adam get the car ready, I'll go ahead and give you your meds. As strong as it is, you're going to sleep for most of the ride there and I want you to just relax."

Rocky came back in, but remained in the doorway. "I activated the phone tree for the dojo, let them know that we'll be closed until next week. Are we taking the Suburban?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, and do me a favor, rig something to hold an IV bag. As bad as he's been sweating, plus the vomiting, I want to keep him hydrated until we get there."

"No problem. I'll drop one side of the back down so he can lay flat." Rocky left again to go get the car ready. He sighed softly as he got to work, wondering when the small family was going to get a break.

Tyler sighed as Jason and Adam helped him up so that he could change. "Been a while since this has happened."

Jason frowned. "This has happened before?"

Adam blushed slightly. "The all Red mission." He put a hand on Ty's shoulder. "Why don't you take a quick shower?"

The teen nodded, making his way slowly to the private shower in the office. Once there, he stripped and stood under the water, letting the warm spray ease his aching body.

Turning to the former Gold Ranger, Adam sighed. "When you guys went on that mission, Tyler was really uptight. Rocky and I couldn't figure out why, so when he was distracted in class, I pulled him to the side afterwards. He pretty much told me that he could feel that something was going on with Tommy. That's when he started getting sick. Rocky and I took him home, told Rebecca it was probably just food poisoning. Later that night, Tommy called to let us know what happened. We figured out that the time you guys started the fight was about the same time that Ty got sick."

Jason shook his head. "We always knew that he had a good sense of when Tommy was upset or something, but I guess we never thought it'd still be going strong after so many years apart."

"They're brothers, Jase. I don't think it's going to do anything but grow stronger."

"I'm starting to believe you might be right about that."

Tyler finished his shower and changed into the clothes Adam had retrieved for him. Stepping out of the bathroom, he made his way over to the pair and grabbed his jacket. "We ready to go?"

"Yeah kiddo, let's get you to your brother." Jason grabbed his bag and nodded at Adam. "Grab the pillow and blanket for me?"

"No problem." He followed the pair out to the car and handed Jason the items before putting his own bag on the floor of the backseat before climbing into the front passenger seat.

As soon as he had Tyler settled, Jason went ahead and administered the meds for his migraine and then established an IV. Once he had that going, he added a dose of something to help settle the teen's stomach before nodding at Rocky. "Let's go Rock."

Rocky nodded, pulling out and starting for Mariner Bay, home of the Lightspeed Rescue Aquabase, or rather the newly rebuilt one. "Captain Mitchell knows we're coming and he'll have someone waiting for us at the tube opening."

"Yeah, which is good. Hopefully they'll have Tommy by that time." Jason looked down at the now sleeping teen and hoped that Tommy was okay.

Carter Grayson looked back into the holding bay of the rescue vehicle and sighed. His wife, Dana, was working on their latest rescue: one Tommy Oliver. Turning back to the front, he couldn't help but think about how this rescue had been so different from the ones he normally went on.

For starters, this one had resulted from a phone call that was actually initiated by a teenager's feelings. He'd seen and done things as a Ranger that had been decidedly unique, but his had beat some of those things. If it hadn't been for a few things, like the person they were rescuing being a legendary ranger or that it was the original Red Ranger that was doing the calling, he probably would have brushed it off.

The rescue itself wasn't that hard. They'd used the coordinates that Jason had given them and then scanned for Tommy's bio-signature. Together, it had been enough to quickly locate the man and get him aboard. Now, Dana was treating him for exposure, dehydration and the various bruises and contusions that he'd received from whatever had happened before the explosion.

Tyler woke up several hours later and found himself in a medbay. When he tried to sit up, a hand in the middle of his chest stopped him. Following the hand up, he met Jason's warm eyes.

"Just relax Ty. They found him and he's going to be all right. Right now, they're still getting him settled."

"How bad?"

"He's got a few bruised ribs, but mostly he's a little sunburned, dehydrated and tired."

"Can I see him?"

"Once Dana says you can. You were running a slight fever when we got here and she wants to check you over before you see him."

"He's really okay though?" He couldn't stop the tears that started to build up.

Sighing softly, Jason took a seat on the bed and drew the teen into his arms. "Yes, he's really okay." He could feel the soft sobs as they shook the body he held, grateful that things had turned out okay for them once again.

When the teen finally fell asleep, Jason laid him back down and pulled the covers up. Standing, he stretched a bit before going out to talk to Dana and found her at the desk.

"Hey Dana, can you do me a favor?"

Dana Mitchell-Grayson looked up at him and grinned slightly, "Well that depends on what the favor is."

Jason laughed softly. "Nothing bad, I promise. Mainly, I was hoping you'd put Tommy in the same room as Tyler. I think it'd be easier on everyone that way."

"We were already going to do that." She watched him for a moment. "That's not the only thing you wanted, was it?"

The brunette was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "No, it's far from being the only thing that I wanted." He sighed softly. "Can you do a full work up for me on Tyler? He has a regular doctor, but there are just some things that they don't understand."

Nodding softly, she handed him a few papers. "His blood was drawn when you guys first got here and it was noticed he was running a fever. Wanted to know what was causing it. If I didn't know that the only Rangers he'd been in contact with were Rocky, Adam and Carter in the past four years, I'd be asking if he was ever a ranger."

Jason took the papers, frowning as he read over the test results. "Keep forgetting that Carter started going down to talk to him the past few months. No, he's never been a ranger, but I think I might know what is causing some of the anomalies. He'll still need a full physical and anything you can suggest to help with the rest of his rehab would be great." He looked at her. "Might need something new for his migraines as well. It took two doses once he got here besides the one I gave him before we left to get it to subside."

"I'll look into it. We want to keep Tommy for 3 or 4 days, so that'll give me enough time to find something. We'll keep Tyler as well."

He nodded. "He's asleep right now, but I'm going to go talk to Adam and Rocky for a few minutes. If he wakes up, tell him I'll be right back."

"You just go do what you have to do. I'll send Carter in to sit with him for a bit."

"Thanks Dana." He headed off to find his friends, not sure if he was going to kill them just or wait until they explained things to Tommy.

Rocky spotted Jason first and set down the sandwich he'd been working on. "Uh oh."

Adam followed his gaze and sighed. "Well, I think the gig is up." Waiting for Jason to take a seat, he was quiet for a moment before looking at the first Red Ranger. "Training Ty in the ways of the ninja and the ninjetti was Tommy's idea, Jase. Only, it was mainly talk before everything went to hell."

"When did you actually start teaching him?"

"The ninja stuff started getting added shortly after we moved the dojo to Reefside. The different meditations didn't start until after the Red mission." Rocky stated, "The normal meditations and stuff weren't working to help get him settled down. So we started with the others. Right now, he's probably as good, if not better, than Adam and I were when we first came to Angel Grove."

Jason was surprised by this. "In less than two years?"

Adam nodded. "He's a fast learner Jase and it helped settle him a lot."

"It doesn't explain why it looks like he's had ranger powers."

This floored both of the other men, but it was Rocky that recovered first. "The only thing I can think of that would explain that is if he's ready for a spirit quest."

"You mean to find his animal spirit or something?"

Adam nodded. "Exactly like that. Like I said, we've been teaching him both ninja and ninjetti, so him having an animal spirit isn't all that far fetched. Add in his heritage and it fits." He looked over at Rocky who nodded at him. "We were actually wondering if you wanted to go on one when Tyler did."

Jason raised an eyebrow at that. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"We are Jase," Rocky stated. "It would help strengthen the bond you already have with Tommy and help you develop one with Tyler as well."

"I'll think about it, but for right now we've got other things to worry about. I've asked Dana to go ahead and give Ty a full physical. I like Mark, but Dana's got a few things that Mark can only dream of right now. She's also going to put Tommy in the same room as Ty."

"She say how long they're going to keep Tommy?" Adam asked, taking a drink of his soda.

"Three or four days at least. While Tommy's here, she's going to keep Ty in as well so that she can see if there's something better for his migraines."

"Might want to see if she can add something for the nausea he gets with them as well." Adam stated. The car ride had been mostly quiet, but a couple of emergency stops had to be made when Tyler had gotten sick.

"After how he looked when she first saw him, I don't think that's going to be a problem." Jason stood up. "Carter's sitting with Tyler right now, but I need to make a phone call. Would you guys mind going to sit with him and letting Dana know about the additional training? It might help."

Rocky nodded as he finished eating. "Sure thing, man."

Early the next morning, Tommy opened his eyes slowly and looked around. Sighing softly, he realized that he was in some sort of medical facility. He didn't even try to sit up as the dull ache from his flight settled over him.

"You know, I could have sworn that you made someone a promise to be careful." Jason said, grinning slightly as he took a seat on the edge of his lover's bed.

"Jase." The name came out as a breathy whisper as he realized that he was safe. "And I was careful. Just kinda hard to be really, really careful when you've got a bunch of freaks attacking you while the island you're on explodes around you." He took a sip of water from the cup Jason offered him and settled back against the pillows again. "How did you know something happened anyways?"

"Tyler." Jason nodded towards the teen, sleeping in the bed next to Tommy. He explained everything that had happened which led to his boyfriend's rescue. "Rocky and Adam also confessed to teaching Tyler more than just regular karate and kung fu."

"They've been teaching him ninja and ninjetti, haven't they?"

"You got it. They said that if Ty was giving off readings that resembled those of people who have held the power, then it was probably time for him to have a spirit quest. Also suggested I do one as well."

Tommy was quiet for a few minutes, then nodded. "Should have realized they'd use that as a way to help him re-center himself after everything that happened." He looked up at his lover. "As for the quests for both you and Ty, I think it's a good idea."

Jason leaned down, kissing him softly. "I missed you so much and when Tyler had said you were hurt." He had to pause to re-gain control. "If I hadn't had to focus on Tyler, I'm not sure how I would have handled things."

Taking hold of his lover's hand, he looked up at him. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Blushing softly, the brunette shook his head. "Not really. Napped a little bit in the chair, but that was pretty much it. Dana's working on finding something else for Ty's migraines, which is why he's still in here."

Tommy patted the bed as he scooted over a bit. "Come on, lay down and get some rest. It'll be a while before she comes in and you need to sleep."

Jason didn't have to be told twice as he slipped off his shoes and climbed in next to his boyfriend. He gently took him in his arms, resting his chin on top of Tommy's head. "I was so scared when I first saw you after they got you here."

"I'm okay Jase. A little banged up, but I'm okay. We've got some things to talk about, but that can wait a few days. Right now, we both need a bit more sleep before anything else happens."

"You're right." He kissed him again, letting all his fear and worry go as he was reminded that his lover was alive and back with them. Only when they both needed air did he stop and settle down, drawing Tommy with him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Get some rest Jason. I'm not going anywhere." A deep sigh was released as his head came to rest over Jason's heart, the comforting beat lulling him into a peaceful sleep. True, they had several things that needed doing, and the sooner the better, but for now, that could wait. He had family that he needed to re-connect with and that took precedence over anything else.


	7. Chp 7 Connecting Blood to Family

Standard disclaimer still applies: I don't own anything related to the Power Rangers or anything that you can recognize. Everything you don't have a clue about unless you've been reading the story belongs to me.

The info on the spirit animals comes from a website. If you want the address, please PM or email me.

I apologize for the delay in getting this one up, but I had to wait on a few people to vote. To those that did, I thank you and most of you should have received, if you left me a way to reply, a reply thanking you. If you didn't, then once again Thank you for taking the time to vote.

Chp 7

Tommy woke a couple of hours later, shifting in Jason's arms. The movement woke the other man, who looked down at him before kissing him softly.

"I'd had a feeling all day that something was wrong, but I didn't know if it was about you or Tyler." Jason stated, lightly touching a bruise on his lover's face. "Then Rocky yelled for us and my stomach hit my feet when I saw Tyler laying there."

Gently squeezing Jason's hand, Tommy brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I'm right here Jay, and I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

"I know, but you could have died out there, T. If Tyler hadn't acted like he did it would have been hours before I realized it was you that was in trouble when you didn't call. There's no telling what could have happened in that time."

"That didn't happen though--"

"But it could have and then I would have lost you!" Jason couldn't stop the tears that started to fall. "I love you, dammit and I'm not sure if I could have gone on if you died. Hell, as much as I care about Tyler, I don't know if losing you would have made me push him away or hold onto him tighter."

There was silence for a few minutes before Jason spoke again. "The whole way here, I was angry with myself."

Tommy frowned at his statement, but didn't say anything.

"I was angry because Tyler knowing that you were hurt made me jealous." He looked into Tommy's eyes as he started speaking again. "I was jealous of the fact that he was close enough to you, even after four years apart with only a few weeks being back together, that he could sense something had happened to you. It didn't matter to me that the feelings were so strong that it triggered a migraine and caused him to get sick because I wanted... no... needed to be the one whose bond is that strong with you."

Tommy reached out and wiped a few tears away. "Did you ever think that I might be shielding you from what was happening to me? That I didn't want you to feel all that? I can't keep Tyler out, even though I've tried."

"I don't want you to keep me out Tom, please."

"Go on the spirit quest with Ty. It'll help, I promise."

"Promise me that you won't shut me out again."

"I promise." Tommy leaned forward and kissed him, letting it deepen. When Jason's lips parted beneath his probing tongue, Tommy slipped inside, re-learning the contours of the warm cavern as he tried to comfort his lover.

Jason moaned softly, then pulled back. "Think you're up for a shower?"

Tommy nodded. "Just have to unhook the IV."

Grinning, Jason did so quickly then helped his lover into the bathroom where he stripped Tommy before removing his own clothes. His eyes lingered on the deep bruises that littered the former Green Ranger's body.

"I'll be okay, Jase." Tommy stepped forward, wrapping his arms around him. Tilting his head slightly, he kissed Jason again and almost immediately demanded entrance to his mouth.

Jason allowed him to take control while he started the shower, not breaking the kiss. His hands started gently roaming Tommy's body before settling on his buttocks, bringing his lover closer and trapping their erections between them.

Tommy moaned into Jason's mouth, bucking his hips against the other man to repeat the delicious friction.

"In the shower," Jason huskily stated, pulling back long enough to get them under the warm water. Grinning wickedly, he started placing light nips on Tommy's chest until he reached a dusky nipple. His tongue reached out to gently lave it before pulling the bud into his mouth and sucking.

"Damn Jase." Tommy rasped out as his hands threaded through Jason's wet locks before moving down onto his shoulders where he gently kneaded the muscled flesh.

Chuckling softly, Jason reached out with a hand and started rolling the other nipple. With a gentle nip to the hardened bud, he replaced his hand with his mouth for a few moments before continuing the journey south.

*****NC-17 (want to read this part, go to world of slash... need the addy? PM me or ask for it in a review)*****

Jason leaned forward a bit, still deep in the man he loved as he braced against the shower wall and dropped light kisses against the bare neck. It was still a bit strange to him even after almost 3 years to have no hair in his way, but the look was definitely growing on him.

"Thank you." Tommy said, still slightly breathless.

"You're welcome." Feeling himself slip from Tommy, Jason reached around and grabbed a handful of soap, washing them both quickly before letting the water flow over them. Once they were clean, he turned the water off and grabbed a towel. "You okay?"

"Ribs are a bit sore, but otherwise yeah, I'm okay."

"Good. It wouldn't have been as nice if you'd gotten hurt." He finished drying them off and drew Tommy into another kiss. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He answered, before trying unsuccessfully to fight off a yawn. "Think you wore me out, Rex."

Jason chuckled softly, as he helped the man into a pair of scrub pants before pulling on a pair himself. "Well, let's get you back to bed, Tiger, before Dana kicks both of our asses." Without warning, he carefully picked Tommy up and carried him back to bed before crawling in beside him. "Get some rest."

"I will if you will." Tommy said,snuggling against his lover.

After reattaching the IV, Jason laid a chaste kiss against his other half's neck. "Not going anywhere." He wrapped his arms around the man before joining him in sleep.

Later that day, Dana walked into their room and raised an eyebrow at the sight before her. Carter was sitting on the bed next to Tyler, talking about something. Jason, Adam and Rocky were around Tommy's bed discussing something and from the looks on their faces, it wasn't pleasant. Shaking her head, she went over to the larger group.

"Hate to break up the meeting guys, but I need to talk to Tommy about some of Tyler's results."

Tommy looked up at her. "You can just say it in front of Adam and Rocky as well Dana. Adam is in charge of Ty's physical therapy and Rocky is his social worker."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, then I might as well just tell the whole gang."

"Does that include us?" This came from two new arrivals in the form of Wes Collins and Eric Meyers. Eric was the one that had spoken and walked over to Tommy, shaking his hand. "Got here as soon as we could."

Wes moved forward and shook hands with the others, except for Carter, wanting to wait until he'd been introduced to Tyler before approaching the kid. "And dad says to tell you that all of you are invited to the mansion to get things together and rest for a couple of weeks."

Eric chuckled softly. "Think it was more of an order, but since none of you guys are in the Silver Guardians." He shrugged.

Tommy nodded. "We might take you guys up on that since it's closer than Reefside at the moment." He pointed at Adam and Rocky. "Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, meet Wes Collins and Eric Meyers. They were a part of Time Force. Wes was the Red and Eric was the Quantum Ranger." After they had shook hands, he nodded towards the other bed. "And that, is my little brother, Tyler."

Wes walked over to him, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to the teen. "Figured you might like a souvenir."

"Thank you." Tyler took the beret from him, then cocked his head to the side as he looked at Eric. "You're the one that said the Q-rex could eat the Dragonzord for lunch."

Laughter echoed in the room as Eric blushed slightly. "I'm never going to live that down, but yes, I am the one that said that. Of course, I barely knew your brother then."

Dana sighed. "I hate to break up the party boys, but I do have some news. Wes, Eric, if it's okay with Tommy, then I don't have a problem with you guys being here. Somehow, I get the feeling we're all going to get to know each other a lot better anyway."

Tommy nodded, patting the bed beside him so Jason would sit down. "It's okay for them to stay. Everyone in this room right now, along with Tanya, Aisha and Billy will probably be involved at some point or another in helping out one way or another."

She nodded and took a seat between the two beds. "Okay, the MRI we ran earlier only corroborated what the X-rays showed us. The cause of Tyler's migraines is not due to the concussions he's suffered, although they did contribute. Primarily, the cause is an old skull fracture. From what we can tell, it's almost four years old." Dana turned to the teen. "What I want to do is put you on a daily course of natural supplements. Also, we're going to change your medication to Imitrex for when you actually get a migraine and add Reglan to help with the nausea. Both of those are injectable. If you can take something by mouth, I'd prefer you use Midrin, which I'm also prescribing."

Jason nodded. "Basically, you want to change his diet a bit as a preventative along with what he'll use for when he gets a migraine."

"You got it. He is going to need a certain amount of B2 and B12 in his diet along with a daily dose of fever-few. That should help cut down on the frequency." She looked at her notes, then at Tyler. "This was your third in a month?"

Tyler blushed slightly. "Fifth. Jason and them only knew about two others besides this one." He knew that he'd hear about it from his brother and Jason once they were alone.

"From now on, you need to talk to them Tyler. Even if it's just a small headache and not a migraine. In fact, that's going to be your daily project for the next few months. I want you to keep a headache journal. If you get a migraine, I want you to list everything you've done that day and what you've had to eat or drink. Maybe if we can find a common cause, we can stop them or at least control them better."

"What if something like what happened yesterday causes one?" This came from Rocky, who was sitting on the end of Tyler's bed. "I mean, he was doing good and then wham! He was on the ground, throwing up and shaking like a leaf."

"Those will be the times that the rest of you write down what was going on around you, especially you and Jason, Tommy. Living together, you're liable to see most of the triggers. If it's something out of the ordinary that causes one, like yesterday, I want him brought in to see me, immediately."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is this because of the anomalies in his readings?"

Eric looked over at them, frowning. "Something we should know about?"

"Seems that I make her scanners do funny things, like make it seem like I've held a power when I haven't."

Wes was quiet for a moment, then looked over at Tommy. "Maybe Dana should come with us and Tyler should spend a day at the BioLab."

It was Dana's turn to frown. "I'm not so sure that would be a good idea. At least not for a few days yet. Tyler's been through a rough patch with what happened--"

"ENOUGH!!" This came from Tyler, who'd been sitting quietly for the past couple of minutes. "It's my life dammit and my problem." He climbed out of the bed, heading for the door. "I'm outta here."

If there was one thing that Eric should've realized, it was that Tommy was Tyler's brother and what one brother knew, there was a good chance that the other did as well. In Eric's mind, he was trying to stop a 14-year old from walking out of a hospital. The other thing that should have clicked is that when Jason had called them yesterday, he had said that Tyler had collapsed while sparring with Rocky. That thought, however, didn't enter his mind. At least, not right away.

Without thinking about it, Eric grabbed Tyler by the arm, trying to stop the teen from leaving. One minute, he was looking down a bit at the teen and the next he was waking up with Dana frowning down at him. Off to one side, he could hear several voices. Sighing softly, he met Dana's eyes. "Ty okay?"

"If we could find him, I would be more than happy to answer that for you. Seems after he knocked you on your ass and gave you a slight concussion when your head hit the floor, the youngest Oliver fled and has lost himself in Aquabase." She helped Eric sit up a bit, watching his reaction to the change in position.

A new voice coming from the hall made them all face the door.

"I believe I have come across something in my vast wanderings that might belong to someone in this room."

Jason's eyebrows rose up in disbelief as he made his way to the original Blue Ranger, who was holding onto Tyler. "Billy, it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you again, too." He looked down at Tyler, then over at Dana. "I'm afraid that I ran into Tyler here after some of your security personnel tried to stop him. Several of the medics are taking care of them as we speak."

Tyler rolled his eyes and made his way over to his brother and crawled into bed next to him, burying his head in Tommy's shoulder as he held onto him.

Tommy frowned when he felt the teen shaking slightly and motioned for Jason. "He's shaking and I don't think he's cold."

Shaking his head, Jason put his hand on the teen's back, then looked at the others. "Give us some time alone with Tyler, guys. We'll give you a call when he's settled back down."

Dana handed Jason a pre-loaded syringe. "It's 5mg of Imitrex, in case he needs it." With Wes' help, she got Eric up and into the room across the hall, followed by the rest of the rangers.

Once it was only him and Jason with Tyler, Tommy looked down at his brother. "Talk to me Ty. What's wrong?"

Tyler sighed as he turned on his side, resting his head on Tommy's chest. "Just tired of everyone talking about me as if I'm just a stupid kid that doesn't deserve the right to have a say in what happens to them. I mean, except for you and Jason, everyone's been talking as if I wasn't in the room, even when it was about me. Adam and Rocky only did it once, but I don't even know Eric and Wes and they were planning things out like it was a given." He shivered hard, then groaned softly as he broke out into a sweat.

Jason moved forward and put a hand in the middle of his back first, then moved it up to his forehead, frowning at the warmth. "You're running a fever Tyler. We need to work on getting it down."

Tommy shook his head. "I don't think this is a fever that medicines are going to control Jase. Think it's time that you and Ty went on your quests."

"Going to need Adam and Rocky along with Billy." This came from Tyler as he closed his eyes. "But we need to be somewhere other than here to do it."

For a moment, the room was quiet before Jason spoke again. "How about going to the Collins' mansion? We can do what we need to on the grounds there."

"It's close by, well, closer than Reefside. BioLab is just down the hill so if something goes wrong, we're close to help." Tommy nodded. "Let's talk to the others, see what they say, especially Dana since she's going to be the one that has to agree to us leaving."

"But she's going with us, right? That's what everyone was talking about before I blew my cool." Ty stated, opening his eyes slightly and looking at Tommy before settling on Jason. "And Tommy's not going to be doing a lot except meditating."

"She's worried about you, too, Tyler. It took three doses of your old meds to get the migraine to break this time. Add to that the fact you keep running a fever, it worries us all Ty." He gently rubbed the teen's back. "I don't like seeing you in pain or sick." Softly, he placed a kiss on the boy's temple. "Get some rest and I'll talk to the others."

Tyler sat up a bit and hugged Jason, slightly startling the older man for a moment before he returned the embrace. He looked at his lover over the kid's shoulder, noticing the love that showed in Tommy's eyes, not only for his lover, but for his little brother. Gently, Jason laid him back down and settled the covers over the pair.

"Both of you get some rest." He leaned over and kissed Tommy lightly before making his way across the hall. "Dana, we need to get to Wes' place as soon as possible."

She sighed before nodding. "I kind of figured that you were going to say that. Give me about four hours. That way I can give Tyler a bag of fluids and something for the fever. Once that starts to take effect, we can go, but I'm going to ask my dad if we can take one of the vehicles. It'll be faster and make it easier for me to monitor them on the trip down."

Wes stood up. "I'll call dad and have him get a few of the guest rooms ready. Jason, I'll make sure that you and Tommy get the one that's got a smaller bedroom connected to a suite so you two can be close to Tyler."

"Thanks Wes, I appreciate it." He turned to Rocky and Adam. "Might want to call the ladies and let them know what's going on. They might want to join us there. Billy, Ty said that you need to come as well."

Billy nodded. "I was already planning to since it gives me a chance to catch up with a lot of people at one time."

Rocky grinned. "And the food will be great."

Adam sighed and looked over at Wes and Eric. "This is why he wasn't allowed to go on the all Red mission aside from the fact that he was helping to watch over Tyler: his bottomless pit." Turning to Jason, he grinned. "Already called them and they were heading up after making arrangements."

Carter grinned. "Good, then it's all settled. Let's move this party to Silver Hills."

Six hours later, the small cavalcade pulled up to the Collins' mansion. Mr. Collins had sent four of the Silver Guardians, each in one of the agency's SUVs, to pick them up. Rocky drove Jason's SUV with Tommy and Tyler asleep in the back while Jason watched over the both of them. Adam rode with Billy in one of the SUVs driven by a member of the Silver Guardians, catching the other man up on what had gone on since his last visit home almost three years ago.

Billy had been shocked to learn about the extent of the abuse that Tyler had suffered, not to mention the fact that the teen had been attacked in the hospital and his mother had been killed. He sighed. At least now his decision to return to Earth permanently had a better reason than he was just tired of living on a different planet. Yes, he liked the opportunities that he'd had while on Aquitar, but it wasn't the same. With everyone else in Reefside, it looked like he was going to make his home there. Later, he'd talk it over with Jason and Tommy, see if he could stay with them for a bit until he found his own place.

Jason got out and stretched a bit before he opened the back door next to Tommy. A grin broke out on his face as he looked at his lover. Sometime since he'd last checked on the pair, Tyler had scooted closer to his brother and was sleeping with his head on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy had an arm wrapped around the teen with his hand resting in the center of Tyler's chest as if to steady him in place.

Rocky came over to his business partner and raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Aw, we need a camera."

Billy and Adam joined the pair as Rocky spoke, both of them shaking their heads. "I wouldn't try it if I were you, Rocky." Adam stated, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Besides, Tommy's awake."

Tommy looked over at them, confirming Adam's statement. "Yeah, but Ty's still asleep so someone might want to come get him."

Adam made his way around to the other side and opened the door before reaching in and gently gathering the teen into his arms. He eased his way back out, then tensed as Dana started towards them. "Rocky, stop her."

Rocky turned and spotted Dana, then moved to intercept her, managing to catch her a few feet from the rear of the car. "Dana, let us get him in and settled. You might be a friend, but he's not used to how you feel. If you get closer, you're liable to startle him and that would be bad for a lot of people."

Jason helped Tommy out and looked over at her, noticing her frown. "We'll explain after we get him settled, I promise. And once he's awake, you can look him over."

"He's still my patient, Jason. I need to see how he handled the trip." She didn't understand what they were talking about with Tyler not knowing how she 'felt'.

Tommy sighed as he finished stretching lightly and rolled his shoulders a bit. "Dana, please. Let us get him inside and to his room. It's nothing personal against you. This is just something that almost all of us," He used his hands to indicate Rocky, Adam, Jason, Billy and himself. "Have in common. It probably comes from fighting as long as we did. Tyler might not have had powers, but he did see a lot of it. It made him a light sleeper at times. Other times, when he truly relaxes enough to drift off into a deep sleep, it takes someone he's familiar with to wake him."

Dana frowned. "And if someone else wakes him?"

Billy chuckled softly. "Those security people he fought with earlier got off easy. Tyler's improved a lot since I last saw him. Right now, I wouldn't even try to wake him."

Shaking his head, Tommy spoke up next. "It's been a few months since I've really been around him. Ty might be my brother, but it'll be a few days or even a couple of weeks before I try to wake him up."

"So you're saying that the only people that are allowed to try and wake him up right now are Rocky, Adam and Jason?" She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

Jason stepped in front of her. "Right now, I don't care if you believe us or not. You will not go near him until he's awake and one of us comes to get you. Understand me?" He glared at her, daring her to defy him.

Dana swallowed, visibly taken aback by Jason's sudden coldness. She nodded, then made her way back to Carter's side.

Adam cleared his throat. "Um, can we get going? Ty might have lost some weight, again, but he's still kind of heavy."

Wes had been watching quietly, but remained where he was after Rocky had stopped Dana the first time. Nodding slowly, he spoke to Adam. "Follow me. I'll show you his room." He started walking, keeping a little ahead of Adam so that he wouldn't enter 'the bubble' that the others had seemed to establish around Tyler. Wes had noticed that as soon as Adam had started walking, Rocky and Jason had slipped to either side of the man and the burden he was carrying. Tommy walked a little behind them with Billy, creating a barrier between the small group and everyone else.

Once at the small suite, which was more like an apartment sans kitchen, Wes stepped in and walked over to a door off to the right. "This is Tyler's room." He moved to the next door on his left. "Jason, this is the room you and Tommy will share. There's another suite like this right across the hall Rocky, that you and Adam can share with the girls." Grinning at Billy, he nodded at a door to the right of Tyler's. "It's small, but I figure that you won't mind."

Adam walked past Wes into the room he'd said was Tyler's and gently laid the teen on the bed. Stepping back a bit, he let Jason in to check on the boy while he shook his arms out and moved towards Tommy. "He's lost about 10-15lbs. I didn't really notice it until yesterday in the office. If he has had five migraines in the past month though, that would throw off his appetite enough to make him drop it that quick."

Tommy sighed. "Thanks Adam." He looked at Rocky. "Mind calling Aisha and having her pick up that protein supplement you suggested?"

Rocky nodded. "Not a problem." Moving off a bit, he pulled his cell out and called his wife.

Watching Rocky for a moment, Tommy shook his head at the man before turning his attention back to his little brother. Tyler was a true athlete and like himself, he hardly ever carried any extra weight. As a result, his body fat percentage was extremely low and he could not afford to lose any weight because it meant he lost muscle as well. The protein supplement was something they'd used before to help Tyler pick up weight and the one Rocky suggested was a bit easier on the stomach. Sighing softly, he walked over to Jason and put a hand on his shoulder.

Jason looked up at him, then settled the covers over Tyler. "He's still running a fever, but it hasn't gone up or down. Right now, it's still hovering around 103. If it's still like that tomorrow, I want to take him down to BioLab."

"Once he wakes up, I want to see how he feels. If Ty's up to it, I'd like to go ahead and get the spirit quest done for you two." Tommy held up his hand when Jason started to protest. "I really think that part of what's going on with my little brother right now is related to that. If he's worse afterwards, then we'll go ahead and take him down to BioLab."

"You should probably do that anyway. There's no telling what this trip has done to him or you for that matter, Tommy." Dana stated, starting to come into the room.

From where he was sitting, Jason could almost feel her determination to get to her patient and he readied himself in case Tyler reacted as she came closer. Adam, however, stopped her from even touching the bed.

"Dana, you really need to let Tyler wake up before you try and touch him."

Carter came up to the pair as Jason started to stand next to Tyler. "They're right Dana. Let Tyler wake up and get used to where he's at."

"He's my patient, dammit."

"And your oath says 'First do no harm'." Tommy stated, stepping forward to stand next to Jason, leaning against him slightly.

Further conversation was halted as Tyler suddenly sat bolt upright on the bed, shivering slightly. He looked around wildly, unable to see Tommy because of how he stood by Jason. "Tommy! Where's Tommy?"

Rocky beat all of them to the teen and gently took hold of him. "He's right next to Jason, Ty. Just relax."

He latched onto his sensei. "Need to see him."

Tommy was already stepping around Jason, Dana forgotten as he went to his brother. "I'm right here Tyler." He nodded at Rocky and took the other man's place, wincing slightly as the teen's arms tightened around him. Softly, he started rubbing circles on Ty's back.

Tyler sighed and loosened his hold a bit, but still remained leaning against his brother. A few minutes later, Jason moved so that he was behind Tyler and wrapped his arms around the teen, drawing both him and Tommy into his hold.

"You're safe Ty, and so is Tommy. Now you need to relax and rest." Jason could feel the tension thrumming through the youth's body and looked at the others standing at the edge of the room. "Rocky, Adam, Billy, you guys stay. Can the rest of you please leave? We'll talk later and Dana, you can examine him later, but right now, we need to get him to relax."

Carter nodded. "We'll see you guys later." He ushered Dana, who was practically shaking in anger, out of the room. Once in the hall, she made her way to the room Eric had shown them to earlier while Wes was handling the others and went in, taking a seat on the bed. Watching his wife, Carter went inside and shut the door. She was mad, but knew that eventually she'd understand that they weren't trying to be mean, only watch out for someone they cared about.

Wes nodded. "The grounds are open for you guys to use. If you need it, there's a clearing about a hundred yards into the trees with a fire pit. Eric and I can show someone later." He nodded at his friend and they left the small group, shutting the door behind them.

Once they were alone in the room, Billy looked at the others. "I'm guessing this has something to do with the fact that Tyler needs to go on a spirit quest and Jason is going to join him so that they might both connect to their spirit animals?"

Rocky nodded. "Shortly after Jason and Tommy went on the Red mission, Adam and I found that Tyler wasn't settling back down using the normal meditation techniques that he's been taught. A few years ago, Tommy asked us how he was doing in class. When we told him that Ty seemed to be getting bored, he laughed." Rocky rolled his eyes at this, while Adam just grinned.

Tommy grinned. "I only did it because I knew that if Tyler was getting bored, then they were covering stuff that he already knew. Anyway, I suggested that if Tyler was bored, then they should teach him a bit of ninja and some ninjetti. Originally, I was joking about it."

"We took him seriously," Adam stated, picking up the tale. "So, Rocky and I started with his next class." He paused for a moment. "Russell wasn't aware of the fact that we had moved the dojo to Reefside. So, Tyler still spending most of the day on Saturday with us and almost everyday during school holidays didn't bother him until recently. For the most part, he seemed glad to be rid of Tyler, which made training him alone a lot easier."

"He was glad to get rid of me." This came from Tyler, as he now rested between Jason and Tommy, both of whom had stretched out on the bed with the teen. "It wasn't until about a month before everything went to hell that he started to care about me going to the dojo. The new techniques and stuff really let me try other things. They helped me regain my focus and I picked them up quickly."

Snorting, Rocky shook his head as he looked at their blue Wolf. "Right now, Tyler's as good, if not better, than Adam and I were when we got to Angel Grove. The whole reason Ty and Jason are really doing this quest is because the kid here," He reached out and playfully ruffled the teen's hair. "Has plunged Dana's equipment into confusion."

Billy frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

Jason chuckled softly. "Seems that her scanners want to insist that Tyler's had powers."

"As long as he's been around Rangers, there's nothing to say that he hasn't absorbed some of our residual energy."

All of them turned to the science genius. "You want to run that by me again?" This came from Rocky. "Because I could have sworn you just said that it was possible for Tyler to show signs like he could have had powers. Just by hanging around us."

"I did. Think about it," As he spoke, Billy got up and started pacing at the foot of the bed. "Tyler lived with Tommy the entire time that he held the powers as the Green Ranger, White Ranger, White Ninjetti, Red Zeo and Red Turbo. None of you held the Turbo powers after rescuing Jason and Kim, but you still had them and Tyler was still around when it happened. So that's five sets of powers that he was around. No one's done any kind of studies on the effects the powers have on those close to the holders because usually the only ones close to the Rangers are other rangers."

Tommy was quiet for a moment. "You've got a point. Teenagers don't really hang around their parents much as a general matter of principal and Tyler was always around us when we were at the Youth Center. Heck, after he found out, Zordon even let him come to the Command Center if he was with us when a fight broke out."

Billy nodded. "Precisely. If you add all of that up, there's a very real chance that he has absorbed some of our residual powers. It wouldn't be enough to morph or even register if someone or something was doing a universal scan, but running tests like Dana did would probably pick it up. After the quest, we can go to BioLab and I'll run a few tests." He looked at the teen. "It's up to you Tyler."

Tyler nodded. "I'd like to know and I'm sure that it would help Tommy and Jase relax a bit."

Jason frowned. "Would it have any kind of physical effect on Tyler?"

"If he wasn't around active powers, he might start showing signs resembling withdrawal. Since you and Jason weren't around him after the mission to the moon, there stands to reason that those of us who have held the Ninjetti powers still have residual energy inside of us." Billy stated, "It would be enough to give him his 'fix', until the residual was absorbed back into our systems. If you add onto to that the fact that the Zeo powers are technically still around, Tyler hasn't really been away from the powers."

Adam frowned as he thought about some of the different things that were going on lately. "What about extra stress Billy? Would that affect how much Tyler was getting from us or prevent absorption like he was used to getting?"

"It's a definite possibility."

Jason sighed. "We were all kind of uneasy about Tommy being on the island. Plus, we got notice

a few weeks ago that Russell's trial is coming up in a couple of months." He squeezed the teen's shoulder.

"That would definitely increase the amount of stress that he was experiencing." Billy walked over and took a seat on the bed, laying a hand on Tyler's leg. "We'll get your spirit animal taken care of and then go see if we can't figure out what's going on. It might even help with the migraines a bit."

Tyler sighed. "Would love to get help with that as long as it doesn't involve more meds."

Rocky sat on the end of the bed with Adam and looked at the teen. "When we get back, no training at the dojo until you pick your weight back up."

Tommy looked over at his brother. "Jason and I will help you with some light kata work to keep you active, but I'm going to agree with Rocky on this and since he's still currently your primary Sensei, what he says goes."

Rolling his eyes, Tyler nodded. "Kind of figured that was going to happen, especially with all of this going on." He stretched a bit, wincing as it pulled on his still healing shoulder.

Adam stood up again and went out to his bag. He came back with a small bottle of massage oil. "Well, if Rocky and Billy are willing to go get that fire pit area set up for us to use, I'll help Tyler loosen up a bit and get his shoulder to relax again. That'll give you some time to check in with Dana, Jason, to update her. And Tommy, if you need to do something to get ready for this, it'll take me a good half hour to work on your brother."

Tyler sat up a bit and let Jason help him get his shirt off before he rolled over, not even having to think about the chance of getting a massage to loosen his shoulder up.

Jason chuckled softly. "Looks like he's ready." Getting to his feet, he offered a hand to Tommy. "Come on, let's go talk to Carter and Dana, make sure they understand."

Tommy leaned over and dropped a kiss to his brother's temple. "When Adam gets done, put on the ninja training gi I know you have in your bag." After Ty nodded at him as Adam started working, he walked out with Jason.

Billy walked out with them and Rocky, stopping at the entrance to the small suite. "Adam told me that Russell had stabbed him in the shoulder with a knife, but that scar still looks horrible."

Nodding, Jason put an arm around Tommy's waist, pulling him slightly closer. "It broke his collarbone and chipped part of it. Russell twisted the knife a couple of times while it was in his shoulder, so it also damaged several of the muscles and tendons. Adam's been working with him for almost 4 months, but it's slow going. Truthfully, he only started using it again last month."

"Well, after seeing what the scar looks like, I'm surprised that he moved like he did against those security people. It certainly didn't seem as if he had any type of shoulder problem."

Rocky snorted. "That's part of the reason he's not allowed to spar with anyone besides Jason, Adam or myself. Well, Tommy now that he's back." He grinned at their resident tech genius. "Want to be added to the list?"

Billy shook his head. "No thank you. It would be like fighting a mix of you, Adam, Jason and Tommy with a whole hell of a lot of Tommy and Jason in there."

Tommy chuckled softly. "Well, I was teaching him since he was about four, so it makes sense that there is a lot of 'me' in his fighting style. It is diverse though and he's starting to develop his own, or at least he was before he was hurt." He blushed slightly at the former Blue ranger's raised eyebrow. "Rocky and Adam were taping some of his workouts, classes and tournaments for me and Jason."

Jason nodded. "That way we could still see Tyler win sometimes and added a few things that Rocky or Adam might have missed to help him improve." The original Red Ranger sighed. Each time Rocky or Adam had dropped another tape or DVD off for them to watch, it pulled at Jason a bit and made him worry about how much Tommy had given up by being with him.

Standing beside his lover, Tommy immediately knew what was going through the man's mind. They'd talked about it often enough over the past four years. "It's not your fault Jason. We both knew that there was the possibility that they would kick me out of the house, take things out on Tyler and keep us from him, however, neither one of us knew the extent of what was going on at that house. Rocky and Adam, who saw him face-to-face several times a week didn't even know how bad it was there. Besides, we both have our lives firmly established in Reefside and people there don't mind. Even the school is okay with it."

Rocky raised an eyebrow. "Hey, if you're going to teach science there, what's going to happen with Ty?"

"I still have another year before I'll be ready to teach. There are a few teacher prep courses that I need to take as well as getting everything straightened out regarding my doctorate." Tommy suddenly groaned. "Oh God, the gems!"

The other three stared at him, but it was Billy that spoke. "What gems?"

Tommy sighed. "I only want to have to tell it once, so we'll talk about it after the quest. Billy, if you and Rocky will go ahead and get with Eric or Wes about that site, we need to get going. I'll go with Jason to talk to Carter and Dana."

"All right," Billy agreed, "But we will be expecting answers after the quest."

Two hours later, Rocky, Adam, Billy, Tommy, Jason and Tyler all sat around the campfire that had been made in the middle of the clearing. Sleeping bags had been spread on the ground for both comfort and to provide some warmth if it became necessary. Jason was on one side of the campfire, positioned between Tommy and Billy while Tyler was directly across from him between Rocky and Adam with both groups forming triangles.

For the most part, the other rangers, including Tanya and Aisha, had been understanding in their need that this happen with only those people that Tyler had mentioned. Dana, even after their earlier talk, had been extremely reluctant, but had finally backed off as long as the rest of them were allowed to be close by. So, Wes had showed them to another, larger clearing about 50 yards from the one that they occupied and had set up camp there.

Looking around at the group, Tommy nodded at Adam to start. Knowing that Tyler would need to seek out his spirit or animal guide, Rocky and Adam had both spoken to their old Sensei in Blue Bay Harbor. Since then, they'd worked out what would be needed and how best to go about it. Adding Jason in was not a problem and actually made things easier.

Adam pulled a small sack from the pouch that was attached to the belt of the ninja uniform he wore like all the others. Opening it, he stood and sprinkled some of it over the fire while Rocky knelt in front of Tyler and lit a small bundle of sage. Tommy did the same thing with Jason and the act served as a way to spiritually 'clean' the two participants while the mixture of sandalwood and cedar he had spread over the flames helped to relax everyone. It also served as an offering of sorts to the spirits and let them know that seekers were in the area.

Rocky spoke quietly to Tyler as he used the sage around the teen. "Just relax Tyler. Close your eyes and let yourself drift. Clear your mind and allow yourself to open up to what surrounds you. Once your guide appears to you, follow it and listen. You'll know what to do from there." When he was finished, Rocky left the small piece of sage burning on the ground before Tyler and took up his position once again.

Tommy met Jason's eyes as he knelt in front of his lover. "Take deep breaths, Jase and go deep inside yourself. Think of this as a form of meditation. Clear your mind and settle deep into your meditation."

Taking a deep breath, Jason closed his eyes, letting the scent of the sage, cedar and sandalwood aide him in his attempts to relax. Slowly, he focused more on his breathing and tuned everything else out. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the next thing he knew his eyes were open. The only difference between the last time his eyes were open and now was that he was completely alone. Getting slowly to his feet, Jason looked around. Instead of the forest, he was in front of a large lake. There was a small mountain off to his right while the rocky shoreline continued off to his left.

Shaking his head, he started walking along the shoreline, thinking about those who were important to him. The first person that popped into his head was Tommy. When he had left to go to the Peace Conference with Trini and Zack, Jason had realized that he was starting to have feelings towards Tommy that ran a bit deeper than brothers. All of his friends, Tommy included, knew that he was bi-sexual. Tommy had been let in on that little secret a few months after he'd joined the team.

Jason sighed. It had been right after that, that Tommy's Green Ranger powers had been taken from him permanently. While he'd been away dealing with their loss, Jason had realized how much he missed the other teen. Shortly after that, Zordon had brought Tommy back as the White Ranger. Even hearing that Tommy was now the leader over him didn't bother Jason. He was just happy to have his best friend back amongst them once again, even if he was dating Kim.

Kimberly Hart. Jason still wanted to wring her neck anytime her name was brought up. He could still remember the night that Tommy had called him up, crying, over what that bitch had done. It had taken him almost four hours to get his bro to calm down. As soon as he'd gotten Tommy off the phone, Jason had found his communicator and contacted Zordon, getting permission to teleport to see Tommy. Zordon had agreed, mainly because they could not afford to have a distracted leader in battle.

He couldn't stop the laugh that came forth when he thought about that day. Tyler had been in the room with his brother when Jason had landed. The 7 year-old had walked over and punched Jason in the stomach, glaring at him. Then walked out of the room like someone teleporting in out of nowhere was an everyday thing for him. Looking back on it, that was probably something he'd been seeing everyday. When Jason had asked Tommy about it, who had been laughing at the look on Jason's face, Tommy had shrugged before saying that Tyler was pissed at him for leaving without talking to him.

They had talked for hours that night, about what had happened with Kim, what was going on at home, school and with the team. Tyler had even come into the room and he'd apologized to the kid before the youngster went back to bed. After a while, Tommy had finally admitted that things had been on the rocks with Kim, but that he hadn't been expecting her to break up with him, at least not through a letter. Jason teleported back to Switzerland later that day, but kept in close contact with Tommy through emails and phone calls. He'd even gotten a few emails from Tyler, keeping him up to date on who all was around. Tyler was the one that told him about Kat trying to get Tommy for herself. Again Jason laughed. That hadn't happened because of Tyler and his 'accidents' that would force Tommy to either take care of him or take him home, leaving Kat to her own devices.

Jason had come back home a few months after leaving, bored with the Peace Conference and missing home. He hadn't even been back a full day before Tommy showed up, asking him to take the Gold Ranger powers. There had been no need to think it over before he said yes and left with his best friend for the Command Center. He was only slightly surprised to see Tyler with the others, but the communicator on his wrist shocked him. Only later did he get the story from Tommy about that, but after Jason had thought about it, Ty having a communicator made a lot of sense.

He was pulled from his musings by the cry of a bird. Looking up, he spotted an eagle soaring through the air before it barreled towards the lake. Talons flashed as it pulled up towards the sky again, this time carrying it's meal in those deadly claws. Taking a look around, Jason spotted a large boulder. Carefully, he made his way over to it and took a seat looking out at the lake.

Tyler had been an amazing kid when he was younger. The boy was quick to learn whatever they threw at him when it came to the martial arts and that eagerness to learn extended over into school. Shortly after Tommy had been brought back to their side, he met Tyler and instantly felt the desire to make sure he was taken care of, no matter what. That feeling was still going strong today. Every time Tyler had gotten hurt, the boy had sought out his brother to make him feel better, but it was Jason that he would find to actually take care of the injury. That was probably one of the things that helped drive him into becoming a paramedic in the first place: wanting to know how to help with injuries just a little bit better.

Since Tyler had come to live with him and Tommy, Jason had noticed that he was quieter, but given what the teen had been through, that was to be expected. Where there had once been an openness to the kid that anyone could get to talk there was now a wall that was hard for people to see behind. There were very few people that Tyler trusted enough right now to let in fully. Most, if not all of them, had been rangers at some point.

Motion out over the lake caught his attention again and drew his gaze to the eagle that floated through the air, drifting on the wind currents. He felt drawn to the bird of prey and could feel the worries he carried with him drift away as if blow off by the wind. Without conscious thought, Jason held up an arm and was only slightly surprised when the eagle landed on his arm. Majestic was the first word that entered his mind as he looked at the bird. The white feathers on its head let Jason know that it was a bald eagle, the country's mascot and an animal on the endangered species list. He let himself get caught up in examining the bird before a slight nip from it's sharp beak brought him back.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Jason met the bird's eye and realized that this was his spirit guide. Grinning slightly, he used the back of a finger to gently smooth the feathers on top of the eagle's head. "So, I too, get a bird for my animal spirit." He was quiet for several minutes as he thought over all the things he'd learned about eagles. Once again, he found himself thanking Tommy's half-brother, David, for taking the time to include him in the lessons he gave to Tyler and Tommy about their heritage. Bowing his head slightly at the eagle, Jason lifted his arm slightly, allowing the eagle to take off once again. He watched it for several minutes before he closed his eyes, meditating on what he'd found out and remembered. When he opened his eyes again, Jason found himself once more in the forest clearing.

Tommy knelt beside his lover and offered him a cup. "It's juice. You've been sitting there for about five hours, so you need the sugar."

Jason took a long drink, then sighed. "Five hours?"

Billy nodded. "You finished before Tyler." The other man nodded towards Jason's lap. "And it seems you return bearing a gift from your spirit animal."

Frowning, he looked down and spotted the eagle feather in his lap. "It's an eagle feather."

Grinning, Tommy nodded. "I have a feeling that Tyler's going to be a bird as well. You should be proud that the eagle claimed you."

"I am, believe me. I was worried at first that it might be a snake. Not so sure you guys wouldn't have seen me run off screaming if that had happened." He shook his head. "Seriously though, I'm glad I did this. Made me think about a few things I haven't in a long time."

"We'll talk more about it later. Right now, why don't you relax. Our part," Billy cleared his throat behind them. "Okay, your part is done. I need to go over and join the other group."

"Why don't all three of us go?" Jason asked, finishing off the juice.

"It might actually help Tom," Billy stated. "Especially considering that Tyler has given us no sign yet that he's encountered his spirit guide."

Tommy was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Jason, take a seat behind the main triangle between Rocky and Tyler. I'll sit behind Tyler." He looked at Billy. "Take the spot behind the group, but between Tyler and Adam."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Why are you going to sit behind Tyler?"

"We're going to join hands, encircling Tyler."

Billy nodded. "A sort of circle within a circle."

"Exactly. Hopefully, all of our spirit animals together can help guide Tyler to his."

Nodding, Jason got to his feet and dragged the sleeping bag he had been sitting on into position while Billy and Tommy did the same thing. Once settled, they clasped hands around the teen, interweaving their arms with those of Rocky and Adam.

When Tyler had opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest similar to the one that this whole thing had started in with one big difference: it was definitely a little colder. He walked slowly, being careful to disturb as little as possible. Time seemed to pass quickly as he walked deeper into the woods. As he walked, Tyler thought about his 'new' family.

Tyler had first acquired a 'new' member to the family when he was three, when their dad had told him and Tommy that they had a half-brother, David. David lived on the reservation about an hour from Angel Grove and was being raised by their dad's uncle, Sam Trueheart. He was a couple of years older than Tommy, so when their dad, Jacob, had been killed a year later, David had changed his last name and continued to live with Sam. David had been 16 at the time, a man in the eyes of the tribe. Therefore, the decision to remain with Sam or go live with his two half-brothers had been left entirely up to him.

Jacob Oliver had been a lawyer at a prestigious law firm in Los Angeles. His specialty had been Indian Affairs and often did pro bono work for the tribe on the reservation. He'd met David's mother on a trip and was smitten almost immediately. They were married less than a year later with David being born almost 9 months to the day after that. Their life together, however, was short lived. A landslide had killed Amelia, leaving Jacob alone with their 9 month old son. He was devastated and did not fight her parents when they voiced their desire to raise David. They later died and David lived with Sam, who finished raising him.

Lonely, Jacob had taken to drinking in order to try and forget. He met Rebecca Marks one night at a local bar. They dated only briefly before getting married with Tommy being born less than 9 months later. Thomas James Oliver had been 3 weeks early, but strong and healthy. With a family to care for once again, Jacob straightened himself out and began taking cases once again at the firm. This time, he partnered up with Russell Johnson. The pair worked together for almost 3 years before Jacob finally introduced the other man to his wife and son. By the time he'd been born, his dad had been good friends with Russell, who was willing to do whatever he could to help out the family.

When Tyler was 4, his dad had asked Russell to take his car to the shop while he finished a brief for a case they were working on. Russell had agreed. The next day, while on a trip out to the reservation to discuss a case, Jacob Thomas Oliver had died when the brakes failed going around a sharp curve. Russell had been the one to assist Rebecca in making the necessary arrangements. Over the next year, he slowly worked his way into their life on a more permanent basis by marrying Rebecca. Shortly after the marriage, Austin had moved the family to Angel Grove. That was when Tyler's life had drastically changed along with Tommy's

Tyler's musings were intruded upon by a soft rustling off to his left. He stopped, and was rewarded by seeing a small rabbit emerge from the underbrush. Suddenly, there was a flap of wings before a hawk set upon the rabbit and took to the air again. Intrigued, Tyler followed the bird's flight path as well as he could. He followed the hawk for a good ten minutes before the upper foliage became too dense for him to see anymore. Deciding to take a break, Tyler took a seat on a fallen log.

Angel Grove had started all of his interaction with rangers, but it had come at a price. His best friend and brother had been turned evil before they'd been in town for a week. The next couple of weeks had been hard as he avoided Tommy at all costs. After Rita's spell on him had been broken, Tyler had been wary of his brother for weeks. It was only after Tommy, along with some of the others, had stopped him from being picked on by several older kids, that the rift between them had been fully healed.

Jason had been the one that Tyler opened up to first. Like his brother, the younger boy just found something in the teen that made Tyler feel that he could trust him with anything. It was Jason that first suggested that Tommy let him help teach Tyler, so that his style in martial arts would have a wider base to draw from and in turn, Jason turned over part of his other classes to Tommy for the same reason. Shortly before Jason had left for the Peace Conference, Tyler had spent more time with him than with his brother. When asked about it, the boy would just shrug and stay quiet. Until he came back from Switzerland permanently, Tyler hadn't spoken to the older teen since the night that he came to console Tommy about Kim. Even then, he hadn't spoken to Jason at first, only punching him before going back to his own room. Later, he had gone back to his brother's room and talked with both of them before going to bed once again.

Tyler grinned as he remembered walking into his brother's bedroom on the morning of his 9th birthday and found the pair in bed together. Granted, they were still in boxers, but it had given him material to tease them about for weeks. A little over a year later, his world turned upside down when Tommy and Jason had told his mom and step-dad about their relationship. Tyler had cried for days in his room, careful to not let Russell see him. The Saturday after their reveal had been the last time that Tyler had been around the pair until he turned up at their place in Reefside. That time had been at the dojo, where Tyler spent his entire class time in Rocky's office just being held by his brother while Jason sat there silently. When class was over, Tyler had hugged them both, then ran out, not looking back.

He never held it against them, knowing that Russell would gladly carry out his threats. Tyler would get occasional letters or cards from Tommy and Jason, but they never left the dojo and most of them were destroyed as a precaution against Russell finding out. Luckily, his connection with Tommy hadn't suffered with the separation. It had always mystified him how he knew when his brother was hurt, or nervous about something. A class field trip out to the reservation had allowed him time to talk with David and his great-uncle, Sam, about some of it. After that, it wasn't so much a mystery as something that provided him with a great source of comfort, knowing that he was so in tune with both his brother and his heritage.

A soft, wet splat-sound drew his attention and he found a piece of the rabbit the hawk had captured on the log in front of him. Shaking his head, he recognized it as an offering, like one a parent bird would give to their offspring. Grateful that his had happened here and not in the 'real world', Tyler picked the meat up before looking upward.

"Thank you, Brother Hawk." Forcing back a grimace, he placed the meat in his mouth and let it slide down his throat. As he meditated on what had just happened, Tyler realized that he wasn't alone. To his right, crouched a wolf, watching him while a frog sat on the other end of the log. Up above him, a falcon and eagle sat perched side by side in a tree while an ape watched him intently from his left. Grinning, he looked up at the falcon and eagle before he gave in to the call of the hawk and 'flew' off from his spot on the log. Soon, he was joined in flight by the eagle and falcon, one on each side of him, leading and guiding him through loops and turns with the falcon just slightly ahead of them both. It was pure freedom as they rode the air currents, flying through the wide open skies. Looking down, he could see the others in a small clearing. Slowly, he started drifting down, noticing that the falcon and eagle were doing the same.

As he landed, Tyler opened his eyes and found himself once again in the clearing where this whole thing had started. Warm hands gently pulled him back to rest against a muscled chest and only then did he realize how tired he was now.

Jason knelt before the teen and gently took hold of his wrist, checking his pulse. "You were starting to worry us."

Adam held out a cup to him, shaking his head when he tried to take it. "Let me help you Ty. You've been sitting in one spot for almost nine hours now."

Tyler frowned, but let the man help him. He took a long drink before resting against Tommy once again. "Nine hours? It was seriously that long?"

Rocky chuckled softly as he and Billy worked to get the fire going again. "Don't feel bad. It took Jason five hours."

"I'm actually surprised it didn't take you a bit longer." Tommy stated, drawing the sleeping bag Adam had spread out up over his brother a bit more. "Then again, I think you have a better grasp on some of the stuff that David and Sam taught us than I do."

"Yeah. I was kind of expecting a cat, maybe a jaguar, but I remember that Sam once said that spirit guides can change depending on how long you need that particular guide. Something tells me though that the hawk will be more of a Life Guide than a Journey Guide."

Jason sat back, satisfied that the teen was okay. "What's the difference between the two?"

"Well, there are actually four types of spirit guides," Tommy began, "A Messenger Guide, that comes into your life quickly, gives you a message and leaves once that message is understood."

"Then there is the Shadow Animal Guide, but that one invades you with fear. Its purpose it to teach a lesson you have not learned from repeated mistakes because of anger, avarice, greed, insecurity, or other negative thoughts. A Shadow Guide will return again and again bearing strong feelings of fear until its message is acted upon or a change in lifestyle or actions are incorporated into your life." This came from Tyler as he let Adam help him finish off the juice.

"The Shadow Guide is powerful. It can help you to overcome fear by bringing truth and turning fear into a helper animal guide or spirit animal guide. However, if ignored the Shadow Guide can become dangerous and its powers will have a negative affect on your life. The Shadow Guide lives in the spirit world and usually arrives during a time of testing." Tommy said. "So, if you have a Shadow Guide keep turning up, it means you aren't learning from your mistakes. Then there is the Journey Animal Guide and it pretty much sounds like its name."

Tyler nodded. "If you're at a fork or change of paths in your life, the Journey Guide will help. It can be around for weeks or months, even years. If you're on the right path, it can be a friend and if you get lost along the way, it'll help guide you back until you're on the right track once again. They can also change, depending on the type of guidance you need at the time, just like the Messenger Guide you get will be most appropriate for the type of message you need to be given."

"So what does the Life Guide do?" Rocky asked, intrigued by the conversation.

"The Life Animal Guide is also called the Spirit Guide and remains with you throughout life and reflects your inner-spiritual self." Tommy looked at Jason. "The Eagle chose you Jason, because like the eagle you have strength, courage and wisdom. You chose a job that involves healing, another trait of the eagle. Also, you like to see 'the big picture' or as much of it as you can before you act. You're great at finding patterns in things and you have great power combined with balance. The feather that the Eagle left with you holds both cleansing and healing powers. In ceremonies, the eagle feather is used to smudge the area with sage to cleanse it of negativity. For the sick, it is used to smudge the body with healing smoke for the same reasons."

Jason was silent for several minutes. "When I was watching it fly during my quest, I could feel it calling to me, but I knew that I wasn't ready to soar with it just yet. Then, when we all joined up and 'met' in Tyler's quest, it just seemed right that I 'fly' with the both of you."

"It was right, Jase." Adam stated softly. "You are part of their family now, on a level that most people can only ever hope to achieve. That sense of rightness you felt was their animal spirits calling out to yours. All of you might be birds of prey, but at the same time all of those birds mate for life. Also, they're all protective of their young until they can fly and take care of themselves. You might not have noticed it, but when you were all flying, Tommy led just slightly as the 'older' bird of your 'flock', but both of you protected Tyler, just like you do now."

Tommy nodded at his lover's questioning look. "He's right, Jase." He leaned to the side a bit and kissed his boyfriend lightly. "And it's one of the many things that I love about you."

Jason blushed slightly, then nodded at Tyler. "What about Tyler's spirit guide? I think it was a hawk."

Tyler nodded. "It was actually a Goshawk, but hawk is the general term given to them by the tribes."

"The hawk, like the eagle, is a bird of prey, but they have a stronger connection to the spirit. The Hawk is known for its creativity, being observant, courage and wisdom. They can often recall past lives and receive messages from spirit, which explains the reason why Tyler and I have the bond that we do. That bond includes all of you guys now as well, but it'll be strongest among Tyler, Jason and myself. Like Adam said, we're our own flock, or family." He hugged Tyler. "The Hawk also has the ability to overcome their problems and making a wise use of the opportunities presented to them."

Rocky nodded. "The hawk really fits you, Tyler." He grinned as the teen nodded, barely fighting off a yawn. "Think someone's a bit tired."

Billy nodded. "We might as well all just get some rest here. The weather seems to be holding and we have the provisions for it."

Getting to his feet, Jason nodded. "Let's go ahead and set up the tents though. Both are big enough to hold 3 each and the extra person in each one will help with heat conservation. Billy, hope you don't mind sharing with Rocky and Adam."

"Not at all. Rocky doesn't snore, so it will be fine." The Wolf grinned at the Ape, then set about helping put up the tents.

Tommy stayed where he was, holding his little brother. "I'm proud of you, Tyler."

"What for?"

"With all that you've gone through, you haven't turned hard or bitter like you could have. What Russell did to you could have made you angry, or left you blaming others like Jason and me."

Tyler sighed, then spoke softly, showing the wisdom trait of his Spirit Guide. "It wasn't your fault nor Jason's. If I let what Russell was doing to me change me, then he wins. I would also be turning my back on everything that I've ever been taught at the dojo. Over the years, I didn't say anything because I felt I had to protect Mom. When I realized that she was no longer going to protect me, I kept quiet to protect you and Jason. If I had tried to leave, we both know that he would have done everything in his power to trash both you and Jason, even if you hadn't been involved at the time. Now, there's no way he can deny what happened and there are other witnesses to what happened besides you and Jason. The trial is not something that I'm looking forward to, but I know that if I want him to spend the rest of his life behind bars, that I have to talk about what he did and why I finally picked that night to run away."

The others had stopped working as the teen started talking. Jason was the first to go over and wrap his arms around the pair, but the others soon joined him. Tommy and Tyler might be the only blood kin in the group, but they were all brothers, bound together by something much stronger than blood: love.

They sat there for several minutes in silence before Tyler yawned again and leaned a bit more against Tommy. Slowly, the group broke up, with Jason remaining with his family. In no time, the tents were set up and the extra blankets spread around. Looking down at the teen resting between them, Jason smiled.

"He's asleep."

Tommy chuckled softly. "Doesn't surprise me." He nodded over at Adam. "Mind coming and getting him so Jason and I can get up?"

"Not a problem." Adam walked over to them and gently lifted Tyler, taking him over to one of the tents before nodding at Jason, who had joined them. "Go on in and I'll hand him to you."

Jason let Tommy go in first before stepping inside and holding his arms out for the teen. "Damn, he has dropped some weight." Gently, he took Tyler from Adam and laid him down on the opened sleeping bag Tommy had laid out.

"We'll fix that, but right now, we all need to get some sleep. We've got business to discuss tomorrow about what happened on the island." Tommy stated, zipping the bag up a bit around his brother.

Rocky nodded from where he now stood between Billy and Adam. "In the morning, we'll go over and get the other group, bring them over here. Might as well talk out here."

"Works for me," Jason stated, followed by a yawn. He grinned sheepishly. "Guess I am a bit tired. We'll see you guys in the morning."

Good night rang out from the others as they made their way to the other tent. Jason zipped their tent shut before stretching out next to Tommy and wrapping his arms around his lover.

"I'm glad we did this."

"Me too, I just wish the circumstances were different." Tommy stated, then sighed softly. "I've got the feeling that this might be one of the last really peaceful times that we have for a while."

"Don't go looking for trouble, T. Let's just take it one day at a time."

"You're right." He turned over and gently kissed Jason. "Get some sleep, Rex." He grinned softly as he finished speaking as he saw that his boyfriend was already asleep. Relaxing between the two people he loved the most, Tommy let himself drift off as well, knowing that the morning would bring them all drastic changes.


	8. Chp 8 Explaining Things

Standard disclaimer applies. So, yeah... my cast of characters keeps growing but the central characters are going to be the ones involved in the first 5 chapters (Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Adam and Tyler plus Billy). The others will make appearances in later chapters. Also, the animal spirit/ spirit guide information used in the last chapter is from a website. If you'd like the link, let me know via PM, email or review.

Chp 8

The next morning found all of the former Rangers gathered around the campfire at the site the boys had been using. When Dana spotted Tyler sitting next to Billy, still looking half asleep, she started towards him. Startled, Billy didn't have time to say anything to her before she found herself on the ground.

Tyler had been watching his brother, Rocky and Jason trying to make coffee over the campfire along with breakfast. He was still tired from the day before, but was no longer running a fever. Ty yawned again and was about to say something to Billy when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Instinct took over as he grabbed what was reaching for him and he flipped it to the ground before coming to his feet in a fighting stance.

"Oh shit!" Adam said, starting towards the teen. "Billy, slide back slowly. Dana, I wouldn't move if I were you." Looking towards the others as they started to enter the camp, Adam held up a hand. "Don't come in yet guys. Let Tyler calm down a bit first."

Rocky set down the coffee and moved wide around the teen, coming up behind him in case it became necessary to try and subdue him. Although, the last time they'd tried that he'd ended up with a pair of black eyes and broken nose.

"Easy Tyler, it was just Dana." Adam stated, speaking softly as he moved closer to the teen. "She was obviously still half-asleep when she tried to touch you without you realizing that she was there."

Jason snorted and muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Tommy to hear him. "Or she really is a true blonde."

Tommy just rolled his eyes as Carter came to stand next to them. "You know, the ladies aren't going to let her live this down for a while."

Carter nodded. "I know and she was warned."

Tyler slowly relaxed, then swayed slightly before Adam stepped forward and picked the teen up. "I've got you short-stack." Ty sighed as Adam held him. "Want Tommy."

Nodding at the man holding his brother, Tommy stepped away from the others. "Take him to our tent Adam. I'll be there in a second Tyler."

Adam moved over to the tent and set the teen down inside. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I didn't mean to do that, she just startled me."

"I know and she was told not to yesterday." He stood up. "No one's mad at you li'l dragon, I promise."

"Thanks Adam." Tyler watched the man leave and closed his eyes.

Tommy looked at the others. "Let me check on Tyler and we'll get started." He went towards the tent, stopping Adam as the other man came out. "He okay?"

"He's scared that you're going to be mad at him. It really was just an instinctual move Tom. He could have really hurt her, but something kept him from completing the attack."

"I'll talk to him. Thanks again Adam." He made his way into the tent and stretched out beside his brother, gently rubbing his back and forced himself not to sigh aloud when Ty flinched at the initial contact. "I'm not mad at you Tyler. We told Dana yesterday not to startle you and that we'd let her know when it was okay for her to examine you. What happened was her fault, not yours."

Tyler sighed. "So she's really not mad at me?"

Tommy chuckled softly. "I think right now she's a bit more embarrassed than anything else."

"Why?" He turned over, frowning at his brother before sitting up.

"Because she just got whipped by a 14 year old."

"Oh," Tyler blushed. "Think I should apologize to her?"

"She needs to apologize first, but I don't think it'll hurt. Ready to go back out there?"

"Yeah." He stood up slowly and left the tent, his brother right behind him.

Carter shook his head as he looked at his wife. "Tried to tell her not to just rush over to him this morning."

Jason nodded. "Yeah well, I have to admit he's usually not this wound up, but with everything that's happened the last couple of days." He shrugged.

Sighing softly, Carter made his way over to his wife and tried not to laugh at the look of disbelief on her face. "You okay sweetie?"

Dana looked up at him. "Don't say it unless you want to spend the night on the couch."

Carter didn't say anything as he helped her up.

Jason rolled his eyes. "We told you yesterday Dana, don't spook him." He spotted the two brothers coming back and nodded at them. "You okay Ty?"

The teen blushed slightly before nodding and making his way over to his other brother and leaning against him for a moment before wrapping his arms around Jason's waist. He sighed softly when the older man rested a hand on his back, pulling him in slightly.

Dana watched them and realized that there was a lot of things that she was never going to understand about that little group. There was a closeness among them that she had only heard about and seeing it first hand made her truly understand that there was a bond there that went well beyond blood. Sighing softly, she approached the pair as Tommy joined them, slipping an arm over his little brother's shoulder and continuing on to rest his hand at the small of Jason's back.

"I'm sorry, Tyler. I should have made sure that you knew I was there before I tried to touch you."

Tyler stared at her for a moment. "No, you should have waited until Tommy, Jason, Adam or Rocky said it was okay. Still, I accept your apology. I hope I didn't hurt you when I flipped you like that."

She was taken slightly aback by what he said, but then realized it was true. "You're right, I should have waited." A slight blush spread through her cheeks. "No, you didn't hurt me, just bruised my pride a bit."

Tommy nodded. "Well, now that we've all had a little excitement for the morning, let's get down to business."

Wes raised an eyebrow. "Really want to do this with Tyler here?"

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the man. "Really want to try and get rid of me?"

Blushing slightly, Wes shook his head. "No, thanks. I've had my share of crow lately."

Jason chuckled softly before patting the teen's back. He reached into the cooler and handed Tyler a bottle of the protein supplement Aisha had brought. "Go take a seat."

Looking at the bottle, Tyler muttered something under his breath in Spanish that immediately had Rocky blushing.

"Rockwell Emerson Phillip DeSantos! What have you been told about that mouth of yours?"

Dead silence fell over the camp, broken only by the sounds of the animals starting to wake and the occasional popping from the fire. Then.... suddenly... a snort. Followed by several more that quickly escalated into full blown gales of laughter from the gathered Rangers and one slack-jawed teenager.

Jason was trying to stay upright, but leaning against Tommy was proving useless as the Falcon was busy trying to breathe again after choking on a drink of coffee and laugh at the same time. Rocky and Aisha were the only other two former Rangers still on their feet. Even Eric, the one amongst them that hardly ever joked, was rolling on the ground laughing next to Wes, who was shaking so hard he was crying. Dana had her head between her knees with tears of her own falling to the ground, while Carter laid on his stomach, head pillowed on his hands with his body shaking. Billy had even given in and was laughing at the unexpected by-play that had broken the tension. Adam and Tanya were even laughing off to the side.

Shaking his head, Rocky looked around at all of his 'friends' before letting his gaze settle on his wife. "Sha, did you have to do that? Come on! You know that I don't mean to cuss like that. Sometimes it just slips out. And how was I supposed to know that he'd pick _that _particular phrase to memorize?"

She shook a finger at him. "You and I both know that boy is smarter than you were at his age and picks things up quickly. You're _supposed_ to be a role model for him and your other students."

He blushed harder. "Okay, so you're right about that, but did you have to use my whole name?"

Walking over to her husband, she kissed him softly and kept her voice low. "We needed a tension breaker sweetheart. Sorry, but Tyler gave me too great of an opening for it not to be at your expense." She took his hand and led him over to one of the sleeping bags that were once again spread around the campfire and took a seat.

It took several minutes before everyone started to calm down, but then someone started everyone off again and Rocky sighed. "It ain't THAT damn funny."

"Yeah it is." Who said it, Rocky couldn't say and no one was in any shape to admit to it. He just shook his head and looked over at Tyler, who seemed to still be processing the whole thing.

Tyler finally raised an eyebrow at Rocky by the time everyone started to settle down once again. "That's not really your name. Is it?"

When the former Red Ranger turned Blue just nodded, the teen shook his head. "Damn, your mamma must have been pissed at you."

This triggered a renewed bout of laughter from the others and even got a few chuckles from the couple in front of him. Tyler just shook his head and opened the protein drink after shaking it for a few minutes. Taking a cautious sip, he made a slight face at the taste, but found it more tolerable than the last ones he'd had to drink.

Once everyone had gotten themselves fully under control again, Tommy stood up in front of the group with Jason beside him.

"As you all know, Mercer Island exploded two days ago. What you do not know is that the being behind it is someone that is calling himself Mesogog. His 'putties' are a reptilian/cyborg hybrid called Tyrannodrones. Before I actually escaped from the island, I had to fight my way past them and barely managed to escape Mesogog himself."

"So other than your ability to piss off evil beings, why were they after you?" Rocky asked, trying to get the attention on someone else.

A few soft chuckles went through the group and even brought a smile to Tommy's face before he continued. "Keep it up Emerson. They were after me because I had managed to take 3 of the seven gems that we were working on. The other four were in part of one of the labs that exploded initially." He pulled a small pouch from his pocket that Carter had given him the day before and showed them the blue, red and yellow Dino gems. "These will power the morphers for a new team of Rangers when Mesogog finally decides to show himself again. With all the damage and destruction that I helped cause, it'll be a couple of years before he can really come after them, if he made it off the island alive."

Carter nodded. "The last we heard, you were the only survivor Tommy. Even then, that might not have happened if it weren't for your brother."

Both of the Olivers blushed slightly at the comment, but it was Tommy that spoke once again. "There will be many people missed that worked there, several of whom I was friends with."

As they continued to talk, Tyler began to get bored. So, he finished off the drink and got up. After putting the bottle with their other trash, he left the clearing, just wanting to stretch his legs a bit. The trees eventually thinned out until they finally stopped and Ty found himself walking close to the edge of a cliff. He paused at one point and just stared out at the ocean. Only two days ago his brother had been drifting in that. A small shiver passed through him as he once again realized that he could have lost Tommy that day. The fallout from that was not something that he even wanted to attempt to contemplate. With a soft sigh, he continued walking, not realizing how far he was actually getting from the others.

They had been talking for about twenty minutes, going over such things as where the command center was going to be and what all it should include. The where was a given considering that Tommy and Jason were going to be the ones mentoring the new team. With the basement of their house being offered over to that, the talk had turned to the things that were going to be needed for it to be fully operational. The biggest hurdle was going to be a teleportation system of some kind. Billy had agreed to use some of his resources to figure something out about that one.

Stretching a bit, Jason looked over to where he'd last seen Tyler and frowned when he noticed the teen wasn't there. A quick glance around the campsite showed that he wasn't in the clearing at all.

"Hang on guys." He said, stopping a discussion between Wes, Eric and Tommy about training programs. "Where's Tyler?"

Adam couldn't help it as he chuckled softly. "Well, if he's not here it means he got bored." He looked over at Wes. "How big is this place again?"

Wes raised an eyebrow. "Large enough that if we don't find him in an hour we're going to have to call in some of the Guardians to help look."

Tommy shook his head, taking a seat. "Only my little brother."

Eric frowned. "You going to go look for him? Or do you expect us to do it?"

Rocky shook his head and took a seat next to Tommy while Adam sat across from Rocky. "Think Tommy's going to go looking for him all right."

Adam nodded. "Just not in one of the usual ways." He looked over at Billy and Jason. "Take a seat with us. You were with him last night. It'll help if you're with us now."

Jason shook his head as he joined Billy in the circle. "You know, I always knew there was something weird about you Olivers." He winked at the man across from him and grinned as Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Keep it up and you'll be sleeping in the hallway tonight." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just focus on Tyler. We should be able to pick up where he's at or if he's in trouble. Last night, we all learned how his spirit animal felt, so hone in on that if you're having trouble." Looking over at the others, he nodded at Eric and Wes. "Whatever happens, don't touch any of us until we're done."

Eric nodded. "We'll keep watch. The others can start searching between here, the house and BioLab."

Tommy nodded and closed his eyes, focusing in on his brother and the bond that they shared.

Tyler stood near the cliff's edge and looked out once again over the vast ocean. He knew what Tommy having the gems meant and even though his brother would have help, mentoring a new team of Rangers would have its fair share of danger. A small part of him couldn't help but wonder if this time his brother's luck would run out and he'd lose him. Or any one of the others that meant so much to him. A few tears escaped, yet he did nothing to try and stop them. There was no way that he could take losing someone else, especially when he didn't know what would happen to him afterwards. The only family he had left was David and Sam, but Tyler didn't think he could live with them.

Sighing softly, he watched the waves crash against the rocks below and shook his head. That was a helluva a long drop. Stepping back a bit further from the edge, Tyler dropped into a stance and began a kata that Jason had shown him years ago. As he relaxed into the moves, he could feel the others. Pulling up sharply at the contact, he lost his footing and fell. When he hit the ground, he rolled, falling off the edge. At the last second, he managed to grab a hold of the edge, barely hanging on.

"TOMMY!!! JASON!!! Help me!!" Tyler closed his eyes, trying to hold on despite the pain that was starting to flair in his shoulder. In his head, he heard the Hawk scream. Moments later it was answered by a falcon, an eagle, an ape, a frog and a wolf. In the distance, he could hear the fainter cry of a bear and almost inaudible came the cry of the crane.

At the campsite, Tommy and the others had been meditating for only a few minutes before they made contact. Jason sighed. He could feel that Tyler was upset about something and looked around. Billy was off to his right, with Rocky and Adam on his left. Tommy was standing a little bit ahead of them. Jason grinned because it put his lover at the head of their 'flock'. He looked closer and noticed that they were near some cliffs. Off a little ways, he could see Tyler, standing there looking out. Tyler appeared to startle slightly and turn back towards them. The cry of a hawk made them all look skyward as a wave of fear hit them all followed by Tyler's screams.

Opening his eyes, Jason was just in time to see Tommy leap to his feet and take off running towards the cliffs. He didn't hesitate as he followed his boyfriend. Behind him, he could hear Rocky, Adam and Billy join them even while the others tried to question them. All of them heard the cries of their animal spirits answering the fledgling hawk.

Andros had been monitoring things from the AstroMega ship ever since a chance email from Jason had let him know that Tommy was going to be doing some research on an island. So, the Red Space Ranger had taken it upon himself to keep watch over his fellow ranger that was away from his family. When that island had exploded, Andros had plotted a course towards Earth without hesitation. A communique from Carter explained that he was on the way to pick up Tommy, but that they might have a situation on their hands. So instead of stopping, Andros continued on his course.

A check of the monitors had showed a mass of ranger power near the Collins' Mansion and Silver Guardians Headquarters. Reading through the various signatures with DECA's help, he realized that almost all the former Rangers were gathered in one place. There were a few exceptions, but the signatures he recognized were all friends of Tommy and Jason, or had worked directly with them. As he got closer to Earth, Andros realized that there was one signature that he couldn't determine. It was almost like the ghost of a reading instead of a true bio-signature. That intrigued the Karovan.

As he entered a cloaked orbit near the location, Andros pulled up an image of the person that held the signature and thought that there was something familiar about the boy. Suddenly, the kid fell only to barely grasp the ledge that he'd fallen from and Andros knew that his time to act was running out.

"DECA, prepare the red Galaxy Glider and monitor that person. Let me know if he falls again." He stated, running for the launch tube. No sooner had he hit the bottom of the tube than DECA let him know that the teen had indeed fallen once again. Hoping that he wasn't too late, Andros headed the glider towards that area, letting DECA feed him the necessary coordinates.

Tommy groaned as his ribs started to hurt and he found it harder to breathe. Finally, he had to stop shortly after they cleared the trees, heading for the cliffs. Going down to one knee, he could only look out at the cliffs barely visible in the distance.

Jason frowned as he stopped beside Tommy. "You okay?" He looked up as the others started to slow. "Keep going. I'll take care of Tommy. Just get to Tyler." As they continued, Jase turned his attention to his lover. "Is it your ribs?"

Slowly, Tommy nodded as he fought to catch his breath.

"All right, let's get you sitting down." Carefully, Jason eased him down further and propped him against a fallen log. "Just focus on your breathing, they'll get Tyler."

"He's so scared J and I can't get to him."

"Tom, you're not going to do him any good if you get hysterical right now. Once the guys get him, seeing you passed out because you couldn't get your breathing under control is only going to upset him more."

"I know." Tommy forced himself to take as deep a breath as he could, then sighed. "I can't lose him Jase."

Jason said nothing as he watched the man he loved. There was nothing that he could say to that because he was just as worried about the teen.

Tyler tried to keep hold of the edge, but a sudden burst of pain through his shoulder caused him to release his hold and he went falling. He was too scared to scream as he watched the top of the cliff get further from him. Silently, he prayed that he hit the water first and not the rocks where he might have at least a slim chance of surviving.

Suddenly, his fall was stopped and he found himself moving forward through the air. Opening eyes that he didn't remember closing, Ty looked at the man who had saved him. Fear made his heart leap into his throat, but he couldn't say anything as he found himself being held by a red Ranger. The helmet told him this man was not his brother, but then again the guy had saved him.

"Just relax and I'll have you back with the others in a moment." Andros stated. He could tell that the teen he held was scared, but Andros was attributing most of that to the fall. Maneuvering the glider upward a bit, he spotted the small group that was approaching the cliff. With a slight adjustment, the Karovan headed that way and set down in front of them. Once on the ground, he gently set the teen on his feet and nodded at Billy. "Think I found something you guys lost."

As soon as he was let go, Tyler made his way to Adam and clutched hard onto the older man, but said nothing.

Adam sighed as he put his arms around the teen, frowning when he flinched at the contact. Gently untangling himself from the teen, he looked at Tyler. "What's wrong Ty?"

"Think I did something to my shoulder."

Rocky frowned as he joined the pair, leaving Billy to talk with the now unmorphed Red Ranger. "Same shoulder that Russell stabbed?"

"Yeah, I caught the edge when I first fell and was trying to hang on. Then it felt like something ripped through my arm and I had to let go. He caught me once I had started falling."

Billy watched them start looking the teen over before he turned to Andros. "Thank you, Andros. I'm sure that Tommy will thank you once we get back to him."

Andros frowned. He'd met Billy when the other man was still on Aquitar, so it wasn't that which was causing him confusion. "Why would Tommy thank me for rescuing a kid? Who, by the way, has an almost ranger signature."

Chuckling softly, the tech wizard put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Andros, let me introduce you to Tyler Oliver, Tommy's little brother."

"Thought he looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out why." Andros nodded at the teen, who now had Rocky's belt holding his arm strapped to his chest. "I'm sorry if I scared you, Tyler. Are you okay?"

Adam kept a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "It's okay Tyler. Andros is one of us." He looked at the other man. "We'll fill you in later Andros, but for now we'd better get Tyler back to Tommy and Jason."

Andros nodded. "I was on my way down anyway, so I'll just tag along." He hit a button on his communicator. "DECA, retrieve the Galaxy Glider. I'll be staying down here for a bit." After DECA's confirmation, he fell into step with Billy as they followed Rocky, Adam and Tyler back to where they'd left Tommy and Jason.

Tommy let Jason hold him as he cried softly. All he could think about was how close he'd come to losing his brother. They'd spent four years apart and when Ty finally makes his way back into Tommy's life, what happens? The kid spends weeks in the hospital, a Christmas with Tommy and a few friends, and then he leaves for months, leaving Tyler with Jason, Adam and Rocky. He should have postponed the trip. Anton would have understood if he needed to wait a bit, but Jason and even Tyler, had encouraged him to go and get everything finished.

Then two days ago, he'd almost gotten himself killed and instead of taking a few days or even weeks to spend with his brother and Jason, what did he do? He jumped right back into Ranger business and pushed other things aside. True, they had done the spirit quest for Tyler and that had helped his bond with everyone, especially Jason and himself, but it could have waited a few days.

Jason sighed softly as he held onto the man he loved. He could already tell that Tom was starting one of his guilt trips, but at the moment, with Tyler still not being in sight, there was very little he could do about it. There had been several times over the past couple of months that Jason had wished that he hadn't pushed Tommy to finish the thing up with Mercer. Most of those times, Tyler was involved or it was about Tyler. One of the things that Jason had been thinking about recently was adopting the boy. That way, if anything happened, especially like the other day, then Tyler would be taken care of. He realized though, that he needed Tommy as well.

Pushing those thoughts aside for now, he gently held onto the older Oliver. "He'll be okay Tommy. I'm pretty sure that we would have felt something otherwise. Just try and relax a bit until the others get back with him."

"I'm trying Jase, but I keep seeing him on the edge of that cliff and then going over. God, he could have died today and I wouldn't be able to tell you if I had told him that I loved him since I've been back."

The original Red Ranger sighed softly. "He knows that you do, T. When he gets back, you can tell him, okay? You need to make sure that he knows you're not mad at him as well. Worried and disappointed are okay, but I'm not sure yet if he's ready for someone to be mad at him."

Tommy sat up a bit and frowned at him. "What all has happened while I've been gone Jason?"

"Between myself, Rocky and Adam, you've heard everything that's gone on with your little brother Tommy, but he's missed you. We might all care about him and I love the kid, however, you're his blood family. He needs you, Tom and he's so scared of disappointing you that he's holding himself back around the rest of us. Not physically, but right now, you are still the only one he'll really let see what is going on behind that wall of his. Rocky, Adam, me... we all get a peek from time to time, but not enough to get the whole picture. I know that it's been less than six months since he lost his mom, and that he was in the hospital for her funeral and all, but he still refuses to talk about it."

"I should have stayed at home, spent more time with Tyler before going."

"He wanted you to go, Tommy. Just like I did. You're back now and once everything's settled down again, in the next week or so, you two need to spend some time alone." He kissed him softly. "That, I think, more than anything else, will help him."

Tommy kissed him back, then rested his head against the muscled chest. "I'm glad you were there for him this time."

"Yeah well, he's a good kid. Although, I think you're going to have to talk to the school before he starts."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause unless he's being challenged in class, he's going to get bored. If he gets into stuff like this out here when he's bored, I don't want to see what he'll be like in school when that happens."

"I don't think he'd do that."

"Don't think who'd do what?" Rocky asked, coming up on the pair.

Tommy's head snapped over to him, then looked behind him. "Did you find him? Is he okay? Where is he?"

"Easy there Tommy. Yes, we found him, but Andros is the one that got to him first. As for Tyler being okay, he pulled his bad shoulder. How bad, we're not sure of yet, but it's hurting him. Adam strapped that arm to his chest to keep him from using it. They're still coming, but they had to slow down a bit to wait for him. I came ahead to let you know that we got him."

"Thanks Rocky." Jason stated, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then raised an eyebrow. "What did he think of Andros?"

Rocky chuckled softly. "I don't think Ty knows what to make of him. Keeps giving him funny looks, but I think it might have something to do with the hair."

Tommy shook his head and was about to say something when voices caught his attention. He got to his feet when he saw Billy, Andros and Adam with Tyler. Slowly, he made his way over to the teen, then took pulled him tight, being careful of his arm and started crying once again.

Tyler held tightly onto his brother as soft sobs started to shake his frame. "I was.... so... sc..scc... scared." He hitched out.

"It's okay. You're safe now." Tommy forced himself to take a deep breath, wincing slightly and let it out slowly. "I love you, Tyler." Sighing softly, he rested his chin on top of his own hand as he held Ty's head to his chest. "I've got you."

Jason sighed as he walked over to Billy, Adam and Andros with Rocky. He reached out a hand to Andros. "You've really got some great timing man."

"Well, I was already on my way here because of the email you sent out to us other Rangers about Tommy going to the island. Then a couple of days ago, I got readings from DECA that indicated it had exploded and I sped things along a bit to get here. Shortly after that, I got a communique from Carter saying that he was on his way to pick up Tommy." He shrugged. "I decided I wanted to find out what was going on and kept coming and started monitoring bio-signatures. Yesterday, DECA alerted me to a large group of bio-signatures and one ghost-like signature. The ghost one intrigued me so I started following it." Andros looked over at the brothers, then turned back to the others. "I had just made cloaked orbit when I noticed him fall. Used one of the Galaxy Gliders to grab Tyler. Although, I think I spooked him a bit when I did it, especially considering that I was morphed at the time."

A soft laugh came from the group at the Karovan's statement. "Hate to tell you Andros," Rocky started, "But Tyler's known about Rangers since he was about 5."

"You're kidding." When the others shook their heads, he humphed. "Well, that's different."

Tommy held Tyler for several more minutes, then looked down at his little brother. "You scared the shit out of me Tyler. Then when we felt you fall." He couldn't finish and just held the teen.

The teen blushed slightly. "You guys caught me off guard. I'm used to you and even slightly use to Jason in that kind of situation, but having you all there was different." He cocked his head a bit. "And then, hearing all those different animals was kinda weird."

"Well, I would say next time we'll try not to startle you, but I'm hoping that will be a day long in coming. As for the animal cries, that might be something you just have to get used to little brother." He looked over at Jason and motioned his lover over. "Let Jase have a look at your shoulder before we head back to the mansion. Billy and the others can go back to the campsite, let them know we found you."

Jason approached the pair as Tyler nodded to whatever Tommy had said then pulled the teen into a hug. "Thought we'd lost you li'l dragon." He rubbed his back a bit, then led him over to a nearby rock and had him sit before undoing the belt. "What hurts the worst Ty?"

He raised an eyebrow at the man. "The whole thing?" Rolling his eyes, he sighed. "Felt like something ripped all through here." Using his other hand, Tyler showed him.

"One big tear, or a lot of small ones?" Jason asked, gently prodding the area to see where it was most tender. He stopped when Tyler practically flipped backward. "Easy Tyler, just relax for a minute." Looking over his shoulder, he nodded at Adam. "Hey Adam, can you give me a hand for a minute? I need to get his shirt off to look at this better."

"Sure Jase." Adam made his way over and moved behind the teen. "All right Tyler, just like when you first got out of the hospital, okay?"

Tyler nodded, groaning softly when they jarred his shoulder. After they had his shirt off, he leaned against Tommy, who'd come to stand next to him on his right side.

Jason frowned. "It's already swollen." He sighed and looked at the teen. "I need to see if it's dislocated Ty, that means I'm going to have move it."

Andros stepped in before Jason could do anything. "Why don't we take him up to the Megaship? The medical bay there is more advanced that even the BioLab and it'll cause Tyler less pain. DECA can just transport up those that need or want to come along."

Nodding, Jason looked at Tommy. "What do you think?"

"You're the professional here. You make the call Jase." He gently rubbed Tyler's back.

Jason turned to Billy and Rocky. "Go back to the others, let them know what's going on. Then you two can bring Aisha and Tanya up in about an hour. Tell Wes that we'll be back either later tonight or tomorrow, depending on how things go."

"No problem Jason. We'll be ready to go in an hour at the campsite we stayed at last night." Billy stated, shooting Tyler a wink.

"Just take care of them." Rocky said, reaching out to ruffle Tyler's hair, earning him a soft glare from the teen before turning into a slight smile. He left with Billy, making their way back to the others.

Tyler raised an eyebrow and looked at Andros. "We're not going to take that thing you were flying when you caught me, are we?"

Andros laughed softly. "No, the Galaxy Gliders usually only hold one person. Although in emergencies, like earlier, they can hold more than one person for a short amount of time. This time, we're going to teleport."

Shaking his head, Tyler blushed as the others chuckled, earning them a raised eyebrow from Andros. "Um, something I should know?"

"Tyler isn't that fond of teleporting." Adam stated as he helped Jason pad and strap Tyler's arm across his chest using the teen's shirt and Rocky's belt.

"So you've teleported before?" Andros asked Tyler, who was glaring at him just slightly. An act that deepened the resemblance to his brother.

"Yeah, a few times after I found out about them being Rangers. Zordon thought it would be safer for me to be in the Command Center if I was with them when they had to fight. Even had a communicator and everything. Dimitria didn't like me too much and she almost forbade me to use it. So I pretty much stayed at the Youth Center by then."

"What makes you not like teleporting?"

Tyler rolled his eyes. "I keep landing on my ass, okay?"

Tommy shook his head. "Tyler Andrew."

"Yes sir." Ty knew exactly what he was talking about without having to be told. "I'm sorry for getting an attitude with you Andros. It wasn't necessary."

"Apology accepted, and I think it can be overlooked right now since you're hurting." The Karovan's telepathy was letting him know just how much pain the teen was really in and it notched his respect for the teen up a level. "Let's get everyone on board." He lifted his communicator to his lips. "DECA, five to beam aboard straight to the medbay."

Moments later, they were in the medical bay of the Astro Megaship. Andros nodded at a pair of beds. "Tommy, you can use one of them since you're holding your ribs like they hurt. Jason, if you and Adam can get Tyler on the other, then unstrap his arm, I'll have DECA run a scan, see what's going on."

Two hours later found Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Tanya, Billy and Andros gathered in the crew lounge on board the Megaship. Jason was in the medbay with Tyler and Tommy. The scan that Andros had run revealed that Tommy actually had 3 broken ribs and several cracked ones. Jason had just shaken his head and chuckled softly before sitting with his lover while Andros administered the treatment. Tyler, on the other hand, was still being treated for the damage to his shoulder. The muscles and tendons that Russell had injured with the stabbing had been torn once again. This time a couple of ligaments had been strained as well. It was decided not to heal it fully because of the questions that might be raised, especially with Children's Services. So most of the damage was being fixed and what was left would look like an additional 3 months of healing had taken place.

The only drawback to the procedure was that it could be painful. Jason, Andros and Tommy had all talked it over with Tyler. It was Adam's quiet assurances that really let the teen know that what they were doing was for the best. Before Tyler's treatment had begun, he'd been heavily sedated. The medications that Andros had used would also help the healing process. In comparison, Tommy's treatment had been almost nothing, but they were still waiting for Tyler's to finish. Even then, it was likely to be a while before the teen woke up.

A soft groan from the teen proved them all wrong as Rocky and the others came in to see how things were going. The Karovan shook his head. "You know, with a normal person, he'd still be out for a few hours."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "You calling my little brother weird, Andros?"

"No, just stating the obvious." He looked over at the former Ranger leader. "I mean, he is, after all, your brother."

Tyler sighed. "All right, enough you two." Leaning against Adam, Tyler let himself be helped into a sitting position. "Besides, it's not like you got room to talk."

Rocky, Jason and Tommy all dipped their heads slightly, hiding their grins. Andros was about to step into something and the poor guy would never know what hit him.

"Oh really? And why exactly is that."

"Come on. You're going to dis my brother and me when you can't even decide what color you want your hair to be?" The teen raised an eyebrow at the man. "I mean, brown or blonde man, pick one. Or if you want to be exotic, go red. It'll go with the wardrobe."

Andros could only stare at the teen as the others busted out laughing. When it started to quiet it down, Jason couldn't resist. "Speaking of hair, remember that time Tyler dyed yours neon green, T?"

Tommy groaned softly. "Oh lord, let's not go into that again."

Tanya shook her head. "No way. That one needs to be explained, especially for those of us that didn't get to see it."

Jason grinned. "Let's go to the lounge and get comfortable. Ty and Tommy both need to eat, so we can kill two birds with one stone." He handed Tyler his shirt. "Feeling okay?"

Taking the shirt, Tyler nodded. "Yeah, shoulder tingles a bit, but it doesn't hurt."

"All right, so here's the deal." Jason stated, helping him a bit with his shirt. "I know that your shoulder might feel a lot better, but all the damage wasn't fixed and the muscles are still weak. You need to take it easy using it for a while still. Adam and I are going to talk to Dana," He tried not to grin at the frown that broke out on the teen's face. "I know she's not your favorite person, but she is a qualified medical doctor. Her having access to better technology than Mark is going to explain a few things, but not everything. Anyway, we're going to talk to her and see how much she thinks we can truly push that shoulder."

"So I'm pretty much restricted to what I was doing before Tommy decided to destroy an island and piss off another bad guy?"

Jason ruffled his hair, laughing softly. "Pretty much. Come on, let's go embarrass your brother a bit."

Once everyone was situated with food and drinks in the lounge, Andros looked over at Tommy. "Okay, so what's this about you having green hair?"

Rocky shook his head. "Not just green, fluorescent green. And Jason's probably the best one to tell you about it."

Jason grinned and took a drink before he nodded before he started telling them.

Flashback

_Oliver Residence_

_Angel Grove, CA_

_7 years ago_

"_Just because mom and Russell left you in charge, doesn't mean that you're my boss!" Tyler yelled, pointing at his older brother. "It's Thursday and there's no school tomorrow. So, why can't I stay up another hour?"_

"_Because it's your bed time and I said you have to go to bed. Now go, Tyler."_

_Tyler rolled his eyes, but stomped up to his room and slammed the door behind him. He sat on his bed for a bit, then grinned. 'Fine, he wants to send me to bed early. Then he'll just have to find out why you shouldn't piss off your little brother.' He went over to his desk and pulled out the pouch that Rocky had given him. It was a temporary hair dye that he had planned on using for his next tournament. Fluorescent green was the color he'd asked for and it would wash out in three or four washes. Rocky had warned him that he might want to wear gloves to put it on and wear dark colors because it sometimes bled a bit._

_Nodding his head, he put the packet in his nightstand and set his alarm for 6am. Tommy wouldn't be up that early and he didn't want to get Jason by mistake. After changing into his night clothes, he laid out jeans and a T-shirt for the next day, then crawled into bed with a book, reading until he fell asleep._

_Jason had watched the two brothers argue, but stayed out of it. Once Tyler had gone, he looked over at his best friend. "You know he could have stayed up a bit longer, T. He wasn't hurting anyone."_

_Tommy sighed. "I know, but I don't get to see you that much since you ran off to Geneva. Besides, he's been a bit run down lately and mom wanted me to make sure that he kept to his schedule."_

"_He okay?" Tyler had been his student for a bit before he left to attend the Peace Conference and up until he'd come back this time, the boy hadn't really been speaking to him. A couple of gifts and the promise not to leave without saying good-bye next time had gotten him back in Tyler's good graces._

"_Yeah, he's just been doing a lot lately." At his friend's raised eyebrow, he rolled his eyes. "Russell's making him play baseball, which means that some days Tyler has a game or practice, plus school, plus a class with me, Rocky or Adam. This week, he's had two games and a practice, plus four classes. And it's only Thursday. Last night, he almost fell asleep at the dinner table."_

"_And he won't quit something once he starts." Jason stated, grabbing them both a can of soda from the fridge. "Sounds like someone else I know. Still though, he could have stayed up a bit longer and just slept in tomorrow."_

"_He won't sleep in Jase, you know that as well as I do." Tommy opened the soda his best friend handed him. "Enough about that, what all have you been up to?"_

_Jason shook his head. "Oh no, before we get into me, what's this I hear about Tyler breaking up chances between you and Kat?" He grinned at the blush that crept up his friend's face. It was cute._

"_Can't believe he told you that."_

"_Oh come on, T. It's a chance to embarrass his older brother."_

"_Yeah well, I finally told her that I wasn't interested."_

"_Why not? She's cute."_

_Tommy shrugged. "Maybe, but I think I might be falling for someone else."_

_Jason felt his heart sink a bit. It was silly since he didn't think Tommy would ever think of him that way, but ever since he'd left and gone to Geneva, Jason's feelings for Tommy had shot way past that of best friend. "Anyone that I know?"_

_A hard blush crept into the white ranger's cheeks and he refused to meet the eyes of the man he considered his brother. Truthfully, he'd started having feelings that broke the bonds of brotherhood for the other teen before he left to go to Geneva. The break up with Kim was something that he knew was coming, but the letter was not how he had expected to get that news. That was what had hurt more than anything else. Now, he had the chance to tell Jason that he was falling for him, but was worried about what would happen to their friendship if Jason didn't feel the same way._

"_Maybe. Just not sure how I should tell them."_

"_Do I need to call Zach? Have him give you a hard time about it like he did with you asking Kim out?" Jason teased, watching his friend blush again._

"_No, thanks. Think I can embarrass myself well enough without that."_

"_Why would you embarrass yourself asking this person to go out with you?"_

"_Because I don't know if they feel the same way about me. And I would rather not say anything than lose their friendship."_

_Jason scooted closer to him on the couch. "Tommy, you need to tell them, whoever it is. If they're really your friend, and they're not interested, it might make things awkward for a bit, but I'm pretty sure that they'll still be your friend afterwards."_

_Tommy's warm chocolate eyes met the dark pools of his best friend. "So if I told you that I think I was starting to fall for you, what would you say?"_

_Leaning forward, Jason placed a soft, chaste kiss on his best friend's lips. "That I fell for you a while ago and hated seeing you with Kim."_

_They talked for a while more that night and in the end, they agreed to keep things light until Jason's time at the Conference was over. After that, if they still felt the same way about each other, they'd give things a try. That night was the first time that they shared a bed even though nothing happened._

_The next morning, Tyler shut his alarm off before it could wake anyone else. He grabbed the packet and went to the bathroom. After taking his own shower, he pulled on a pair of gloves from the first aid kit and added the dye to Tommy's shampoo. When he was done, he rolled the packet up with the gloves and stuffed them in the bottom of the trash can. He finished getting ready and went downstairs. After making himself something to eat, Tyler turned the TV on low and listened for any sound to indicate his brother and Jason were up. _

_It was almost three hours later when Tyler heard movement. Quietly, he turned the TV off and slipped out the backdoor. Going through the backyard, he made his way over to Rocky's and knocked on the door. He grinned at Ms. DeSantos when she opened it._

"_Buenas Dias, Senora DeSantos. Is Rocky up yet?"_

_She smiled down at the boy. Tyler came over sometimes when he was bored at home. He was always helpful, and in her opinion, too skinny even though she knew he ate well at his own house. Still, she seemed to make it her job to put more weight on him. "Buenos dias, Tyler. He's eating breakfast. Why don't you go make yourself a plate? There's plenty."_

"_Okay, thank you." He went in and made his way to the kitchen. After he fixed himself a plate, he joined Rocky in the dining room. "Hey Rocky."_

_Rocky raised an eye at the boy. "Does Tommy know that you're here?"_

"_Nope. Jason's in town and they were up kinda late last night talking." He frowned a bit as he poured syrup over his pancakes. "He made me go to bed like I had school today."_

"_What did you do Tyler?" There was just something about the look on the boy's face that had the Red Ape worried._

"_Why do you think I'd do something?" Tyler looked at him, trying for the innocent look._

_Rocky groaned. "Oh lord, we're dead." He shook his head. "Once you get done eating, we'll go over and see how mad he is."_

_Tyler just shrugged and turned his attention to eating. 'Oh yeah,' Rocky thought, 'This is bad.'_

_Tommy made his way slowly to the bathroom, still half asleep, but he and Jason had made plans to take Tyler camping overnight as a way to make up for sending him to bed like he had the night before. After taking care of business, he turned the shower on before stripping and climbing under the warm spray. Tommy stood there for several minutes before he washed up, saving his hair for last._

_Jason had been awake for about twenty minutes and was trying to wait until his best friend was done in the bathroom, however, his bladder was making it known that it wasn't going to wait much longer. Sighing, he got up and went over to the bathroom door. The shower had been off for a few minutes now, so Tommy should be at least half dressed._

"_Hey Tommy, open up man. I gotta use the bathroom."_

_Rolling his eyes, the White Ranger opened the door and looked at his best friend, who had sank to the floor laughing as soon as the door opened. "What's wrong with you?"_

_Tears in his eyes, Jason could only point before breaking down into hysterics once again. Finally, Tommy had had enough and he turned back to the steam covered mirror. "Fine, don't tell me." Using the black towel that had been hanging on the rack, Tommy wiped the mirror off and froze. He could only stare in shock at the image before him for several moments. _

"_TYLER ANDREW OLIVER!!! Get your ass in here right now!!" Tommy knew who had done this and had a pretty good idea why. The one thing he was curious about was who had given his little brother the hair dye that had turned not only his hair green, but his hands and upper shoulders as well._

_Jason finally got to his feet, wiping his eyes and went down to the boy's room. Finding it empty, he went back to the bathroom. "He's not in his room. So while you get dressed and look downstairs, let me in there." He practically shoved Tommy out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him. A pit stop and quick shower had him feeling better before he went to his friend's room and got dressed, then headed downstairs._

_Tommy looked over at Jason. "He's not here, but sometimes he goes over to---" He was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Pleadingly, he looked over at Jason. "Will you please answer that?"_

_Nodding, Jason went over to the door, grinning when he opened it. "Hey Rocky, I see you brought Tyler home." He stepped back. "Come on in."_

_Rocky walked in and looked past Jason, when he saw Tommy, his jaw hit the floor. "Oh... my... God." _

_It took the teen a few minutes, then he looked down at Tyler, who was standing beside him. "This is why you showed up at my house."_

_Tyler shrugged. "Well, yeah. Just because I did it, doesn't mean that I want to be around when he first sees it."_

_Jason started laughing again, only this time Rocky joined him._

"_It's not funny you two." Tommy spat, then looked at his little brother. "When I get my hands on you--" He tried to grab the boy, only to have him twist away and take off up the stairs._

"_Gotta catch me first!" Tyler called over his shoulder._

"_Then you'd better get moving shorty."_

_Jason flopped to the floor, laughing as he heard the pounding of feet from upstairs. Then the sounds were coming closer followed by a 'thunk' as someone landed on the floor and then a louder 'thud'._

_Rocky had moved to the hall and was watching as first Tyler, then Tommy came racing down the stairs, both jumping the last few and taking off again._

"_Come back here Tyler Andrew!!" Tommy yelled, trying to grab his little brother by leaping over the back of the couch. "Ow!" He complained, having fallen off the couch and landed on his elbow._

_Tyler paused long enough to make sure his brother was okay, but seeing him get to his feet elicited a squeak from the boy as he took off again, this time exiting the house via the back door. He didn't even slow down as he flipped off the back porch, taking out part of a rose bush before running for the hedges._

_Tommy didn't slow down as he followed his brother, jumping from the porch and taking off after his little brother. _

_Jason grinned as he watched them, then noticed that Tyler was making for the front, barely avoiding Tommy as he twisted back on his route. Rocky joined him as the pair followed them around to the front, then watched the two brothers from the porch._

_"Tommy, the further you run the more people that are gonna see that great new hairdo of yours!" Jason yelled from his place on the Oliver's front porch._

_Tyler looked over his shoulder, grinning at his brother, but in doing so he failed to notice a hole in the yard and went down. As he felt himself falling, Ty tucked and rolled, but didn't complete it by getting to his feet as he sat there trying to get his bearings._

_Tommy barely came to a stop before he scooped the boy up in his arms and took him back into the house. After he put his brother on the couch, Tommy sighed. "You okay?"_

"_Yeah, I'm okay." He looked up at his brother, then shrugged. "At least your hair goes with white. Rocky was going to give me hot pink as well."_

_Shaking his head, Tommy moved closer to his brother. "I'll show you hot pink." He glared at the boy before he started tickling him._

_End of Flashback_

"Took me a couple of days to get it out of my hair, but almost a week to get it off of my hands." Tommy stated, finishing up for Jason, and reached out, gently cuffing his brother in the back of the head. "Still owe you for that." He winked at his brother when the teen blushed.

"I'm just glad that he didn't kill me for giving Tyler the dye in the first place." Rocky said, finishing off his second plate of food.

"Yeah well, I had to lie to Russell and tell him that it had happened at school. That someone pulled a joke on me in the locker room. Otherwise, I'm not sure if Tyler and I would have ever been ungrounded."

Adam frowned. "I didn't think he was that mad about it."

Tyler snorted. "Mad doesn't even cover it. He about put a hole in the wall. Said that we were trying to embarrass him by acting like a couple of idiots. Didn't even matter to him that Tommy and I had busted our asses the morning they got back to make sure the house was clean. Think that was the first time he really yelled at either one of us."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, it was and mom wasn't any help. She just took a few pictures and then disappeared into the bedroom, but you could hear her laughing through the door as she unpacked."

"Think the only good thing that came out of that weekend was you and Jason." Tyler stated, then grinned. "And the fact that I was so tired that I sprained my ankle in baseball practice and missed the last 3 games of the season."

Andros looked at him, obviously perplexed by the statement. "Why would missing out on your games be a good thing?"

"I like baseball, don't get me wrong," Tyler said, pausing to take a drink of his juice. "I just don't like it as well as I like karate, or swimming or even football. Besides, they always had me pitching and I hate pitching."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "Says the kid that had 12 hits when he pitched all season long."

"Is that good?" Andros asked, still unfamiliar with some parts of the game despite TJ's tutoring in the past time.

Adam nodded. "Very good. Last year when he pitched for the middle school team, a couple of college scouts were already wanting to talk to him about coming and playing for them."

Tommy frowned. "You never said anything about this."

Tyler blushed. "I asked them not to because the only reason I was playing was so that I could keep on taking lessons. Russell said that if I didn't play baseball, then I had to quit karate. Rocky and them didn't know that part of it. Just that I had asked them not to tell you or Jason."

Sighing, Tommy pulled his brother closer to him. "No more keeping things from us Tyler, especially not when it concerns your health."

"Like the two migraines I didn't tell anyone about."

"Exactly," Jason stated, moving closer to the teen and putting an arm over his shoulder. "Your migraines are nothing to mess with, li'l dragon, especially not when they can get so bad you need the meds that are kept in that little black case you carry. The other day, if I had known that it was your fifth one this month, I would have had Dana give you morphine when the second shot of your meds didn't work."

Andros frowned. He was familiar with some of the medications used on Earth and knew that particular one was a powerful painkiller. "Morphine? For a headache?"

Adam shook his head. "Migraines aren't just normal headaches, Andros. They can get so bad it makes the person sick to their stomach, dizzy, nauseous and become sensitive to light and/or sound. Tyler usually ends up vomiting and will break out in a cold sweat. He has to lay down in total quiet in a dark room. The longer the pain sticks around, the harder it is for the meds to work and stop it or 'break' the cycle that's causing the migraine."

Rocky nodded. "And the more frequent the migraines, the more chance he has of getting a rebound headache or a breakthrough headache that the meds can't stop. That's what the morphine is used to treat. If it's used, he's required to see the doctor."

"Do you know what causes them?" Andros asked, glancing over at the teen.

"Yeah, my step-dad tossed me down a flight of stairs when I was 10 and fractured my skull. Only no one ever really caught it and said that I'd gotten one to many concussions or that I'd inherited them." Tyler leaned against Jason as he spoke, starting to grow tired again. He didn't even move when Tommy reached out and gently felt of his forehead.

"You okay, Ty?" His brother asked softly.

"Tired." Slowly, Tyler let his eyes close as he drifted off to sleep where he was at.

Jason looked down at the teen, then over at Andros. "Mind if we crash here tonight? I don't want to put him through another teleportation if I can help it, at least not tonight."

Andros shook his head. "I've already got rooms set up for all of you. I did put you and Tommy in one room, but Tyler's across the hall. We can move his bed into your room if you feel that would be better."

Tanya was the one that spoke up, gently rubbing Adam's back. "It's almost necessary Andros. Tyler's in an unfamiliar environment right now. If he wakes up without one of them around--" She shook her head. "Last time, it took Rocky and Adam to hold him down while Jason tried to get him to calm down. It was hard because he was still healing from the injuries he suffered."

Tommy frowned, glancing worriedly at his brother before looking at the others. "When was this?"

"About a week after you left to go to the island. It was storming really bad one day and it was well after dark by the time I got off of shift." Jason said, pausing to gently run a hand through Tyler's hair. "We'd had a lot of calls and I was beat. Aisha, Rocky, Adam and Tanya were all with Tyler at the dojo when I got there and the storm started picking up again. Adam invited us all to his place since it's closest to wait out the storm. Tyler fell asleep while we were there and I put him down in the bedroom. He was asleep about an hour, when we suddenly heard him screaming."

Rocky nodded, "You would have thought someone was trying to kill him. Who knows, maybe he was dreaming about Russell coming after him again." He shrugged and looked at Tommy. "Refused to talk to us about it afterwards. Anyway, when we tried to get him to snap out of it, he freaked. We were starting to think that Jase might have to sedate him to calm down before he hurt himself."

"Then he just stopped and went still," Adam said, picking up for his friend. "Kind of went limp on us and I think that scared us more than the screaming."

"So Jason started checking him over and Tyler groans a bit, then opens his eyes." This came from Aisha, who was leaning against Rocky as they remembered what happened that day. "He kept looking around, trying to find something that he recognized besides us." She looked over at Tommy. "Or he was trying to find you. Like Rocky said, he never told us what he was dreaming about."

"What I did get out of him," said Jason, resuming the tale, "Was that he'd thought that his coming to live with us was a dream and that Russell had killed you. That was what started him screaming. He really started fighting us when he didn't recognize the room he was in. After that, we've made it a point that he is in the room with us or at home when he's asleep."

Tommy sighed. "All right. For now, we'll keep him in the room with us here and at the mansion. He should be okay once we get back home."

Rocky was quiet for a few minutes. "Tommy, you may want to think about him seeing someone, like a counselor or psychologist. I talked to a couple of people and from what they heard, Tyler had a night terror. They can keep up and even get worse if he doesn't get help. All the stress he's been under lately hasn't helped."

"I'll think about it Rocky," Tommy stated, "But for now, I just want to get Tyler settled and get some rest myself. We've got a little bit of time before we really need to buckle down on getting things set up for the dino gems. Think we should take advantage of it." He looked down at his little brother. "I know that I'm going to take about a week and go with Tyler up to Uncle John's cabin." His gaze moved to Jason. "And after that if you can get a few days off, I want you to join us, but I need to re-connect with Tyler a bit."

Jason nodded. "I think I can arrange that." He reached down and gently held Tyler in place while getting to his feet, then picked the teen up. "Andros, can you show us to our room?"

"Right this way." The man replied, leading the two men down the hall.

Adam looked over at Rocky. "I think we need to get Jason on board about Tyler seeing a professional first. He can work on Tommy."

Rocky raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think suggested I talk to a few people about it?"

Aisha sighed. "Well, Tommy knows now that it's something he needs to consider for Tyler. That's all we can do at the moment." She stood up. "We should all get some sleep. It's been a long day and even if Tommy thinks that we're going to have some time to get things settled, we still need to keep everything else in our lives going."

Together, the small group left the lounge area, heading for the rooms Andros had shown them to while Tommy and Tyler were being treated.

Tommy looked around as Jason laid Tyler on the bed, then moved over to help him get the teen settled. As he did, Tom took a good look at his little brother. The weight loss that Andros had confirmed was evident by the way the outline of his ribs showed. It wasn't bad, but that they could be seen at all was a testament to how bad even a few pounds could affect Tyler. Shaking his head, he removed his brother's shoes and socks, then undid his belt.

"Want to lift his hips and I'll take his jeans off?" Tommy asked, looking up at Jason.

"Yeah, give me just a second. I just want to check how he's doing." Carefully, he checked the teen over and ensured that he was resting easily. After a few minutes, he looked at Tommy. "Okay, just watch out for the brace on his knee." Gently, Jason lifted the teen's hips while Tommy pulled the jeans off, going slowly over the right knee. Once Tyler's jeans were off, Jason looked at Tommy. "I'm going to take his brace off, but I need you to hold his leg still."

"He won't wake up when you do that?"

Jason chuckled softly. "No, it's almost a nightly thing now. I check over the work the home tutor's given him, make sure he's eaten if he didn't at the dojo and then we watch a movie or something until it's time for him to go to bed." He grinned as he removed the brace. "Unless he's already fallen asleep. Then I carry him upstairs and put him to bed like we're doing now." Standing up, he let his lover cover the boy.

"I've missed a lot the past three months." Tommy sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair off Tyler's face. "Even his hair is growing out again."

"You needed to do this T. Might not have turned out like we planned, but you still got some valuable education and experience out of it. Now, you have the time to spend with him and he's not in a hospital or badly hurt. Yeah, he still has a few problems, but they'll be there for a while. He doesn't let anything hold him back, which you'll find out real quick if you've forgotten." Jason wrapped his arms around the man he loved. "For now, let's get some rest. If he wakes up tonight, it'll be a while before he goes back to sleep."

Tommy nodded, walking over to the other bed with Jason. Since Tyler was in the room with them, they both stripped down to their boxers before climbing into bed. He snuggled back into Jason as the other man's arms wrapped around him, holding him close.

"Things will be okay, Tommy. We're both going to be there for Tyler along with the others. This thing with the gems will get taken care of and we'll handle anything else that comes our way." He kissed the back of his lover's neck. "We'll do it together." Jason closed his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Jase and I'm glad to be back." Closing his eyes, Tommy couldn't help but wonder if things were going to cool off for a while. Sighing softly, he left himself join Jason and Tyler in sleep.


	9. Chp 9 Breakups and Break downs

Standard disclaimer applies. The only people I own are the people you don't recognize.

Thank you to all of those that have reviewed. If you've put me on your alert list, thanks, but I would also like to see at least one review from you as well. As a writer, critiques are the best way that I can improve and if you don't tell me what you like or dislike about a story, then it does nothing towards improving my writing. I've reworked the previous 8 chapters. What I changed was the name Austin to Russell and added a few things that help explain things and make the flow better.

On another note, I need to thank Be A Warrior for allowing me to use her as a sounding block and for her inputs in this chapter. It really helps to be able to toss ideas around and ensure they make sense to someone besides yourself. Check out her story "In His Eyes" and look for it soon on World of Slash. Finally, I have picture collages of Tyler available for your viewing pleasure as well as a picture representation of the opening to the story. If you're interested in seeing them, please PM me or review.

Chp 9

Jason sighed wearily as he entered the house and set his bag down. It had been over 3 weeks since the island exploded and Tommy had been rescued. A lot of changes had occurred since then and not all of them were for the better. Two weeks ago, Tommy and Tyler had gone to their uncle's cabin. For Tommy, it was a chance to re-connect with his little brother and hopefully get him to relax a little bit. And for Tyler, it gave him the opportunity to get to know his older brother once again and that was important for the teen, who still had yet to talk about much of his life besides what he'd told them in the hospital.

Going into the kitchen, Jase retrieved a soda from the fridge and leaned against the counter. He'd joined them on that trip for the final three days they were there and while Tyler was a little more relaxed, his brother was more tense. That was when things started to get strained between Tom and himself.

Since Jason had met Tommy over nine years ago, he'd been able to read the other man fairly well. That ability had only increased when their friendship deepened into a relationship that was still strong six years later. Only now, Jase knew that something was going on with his friend, his lover and this time, the man was not talking to him. It frustrated Jason almost as much as Tommy's refusal to see that Tyler needed to talk to a professional.

Taking a drink of the soda, Jason couldn't help it as another sigh escaped him: Tyler. The teen needed help dealing with everything that had happened to him and the week of restless nights or scream evoking nightmares since their return only made that more obvious. At least, it was more obvious to everyone, but Tommy. Even Billy, who had spent a couple of nights with them after they got back while his place was being worked on, could tell that Tyler needed to talk to someone and the sooner the better.

The teen was still restricted from working out at the dojo, but Adam was allowing him to help out at the front desk. At least, he had been until yesterday when Tyler arrived looking like death warmed over. That phone call from Adam had been enlightening to say the least.

_Flashback_

_Adam looked up as the door to the dojo opened. They weren't open for classes yet, which meant that the person coming in either worked there or was delivering something. Since there were no packages scheduled to be delivered that day, he was hoping that it was Tommy, Rocky or Tyler because he knew Jason was at work._

_Walking towards the front, Adam frowned at the teen who was locking the door again. He could tell that Tyler had lost another couple of pounds, weight the boy did not need to lose, but it was the pale skin color and lack of focus that really worried him. If Ty had been feeling his best, as soon as Adam had gotten within ten feet of him, Ty would have turned to look at him or said something. As it was, Tyler seemed to be leaning against the door for support._

_He waited a few moments before speaking softly to his student. "Ty, you okay?"_

_When Tyler turned and looked at Adam, the dark circles beneath his eyes stood out, especially against the paleness of his face. "Yeah, just kinda tired. I didn't sleep that great last night." He walked past his sensei and over towards the desk._

"_Hate to tell you this, but you look like crap, kiddo." Adam replied. "We're not due to open for a couple hours. Why don't you go lay down in Jason's office for a bit?"_

_Tyler nodded, not fighting the older man about the suggestion. After he was out of sight, Adam went to his own office and dialed Jason's cell. Almost as soon as it was picked up, he started talking._

"_What the hell is going on with Tyler, Jase? He looks like shit and didn't even argue with me when I suggested he go lay down in your office."_

_Jason sighed in relief. "Thank god. We didn't know he'd left Adam. Ty had another nightmare last night. It took me and Tommy a good half hour to get him to calm down. I got up about an hour ago and went to check on him only to find he wasn't in his room. We've been searching since then." He was quiet for a moment and then pulled the SUV off to the side of the road. "He needs to talk to someone Adam, but Tommy's being extremely stubborn about it. Keeps saying that we just need to give him more time."_

"_He needs to see someone soon, Jason. Just by looking at him I can tell he's lost more weight, at least a couple of pounds. I know he's eating lunch here and we can usually get him to drink one of the protein supplements as well, so it's not that he's lacking anything in that respect."_

"_I know. Tyler's got an appointment to see Mark tomorrow. It's just a regular follow up for his shoulder, but I've got a feeling he's not going to let the weight loss just go without saying anything. Ty will admit to having nightmares, but he says that he can't remember what they're about it."_

_Adam was quiet for a moment. "That almost sounds like a night terror. The screaming himself awake, not being able to remember what he was dreaming about, taking so long to recover from it or even just calming down, and the cold sweats he wakes up in are all symptoms of that. I had a few shortly after I first became a Ranger. My mom helped me get past them, but it took a few months and some herbal sleeping teas. Mine, however, weren't as bad was what I've seen from Tyler. He really needs to talk to someone Jason and if Tommy doesn't relent to that soon, Rocky will have to step in and force the issue. That won't look good on his record with Child Welfare."_

_A muttered curse came from the original Red Ranger. "I hadn't even thought about it like that, but you're right Adam. Rocky can't keep putting off making it a professional matter without it looking like he's playing favorites. And we're due another home inspection next month." He swore again. "Dammit, Tyler doesn't need this, especially with him having to talk to the lawyer Wes' dad got us."_

"_You're going to have to lay it out like that for Tommy, bro. Time's running out for this to stay off the books. If you and T can get him started seeing someone by your next home visit, it'll go a long way to being a positive for you guys instead of a negative."_

_Jason sighed. "I'll talk to him again tomorrow after I get home from work. For right now, I'm on my way to get Tyler."_

"_Jase, I don't want him back here for a couple of weeks. Technically, I'm obligated to report what I've seen, but since I know what's going on I'll let it go. Others might not be willing to do that."_

"_Yeah, I know. I'll tell Tyler on the way back home. See you in a few minutes Adam." He hung up and started for the dojo, thinking over what the man had said. Shaking his head, Jason knew that he and Tommy were in for another argument._

_End of Flashback_

Jason had been right about them having another argument. Only this time, Tommy had promised that he'd start looking for someone that Tyler could talk to about everything. Time would tell if his boyfriend would do it or not.

The door to the back porch opened and Jason frowned when he saw Tyler step inside. The teen really did look like crap and there was a small pressure bandage around his hand.

"You okay Ty?"

Tyler looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah, was just trying to relax a bit with that old kata you taught me."

"What did you do to your hand?"

A blush crept over the teen's features. "Mark gave me an IV of stuff when I had my appointment."

Jason nodded. Personally, he wouldn't have blamed the guy if he had admitted Tyler.

"He wanted to admit me, but Tommy promised him that he'd make sure I rested more."

"Mark say anything else?"

"Wants me to eat five times a day, keep up with the protein supplements and he's restricted my activity level to a bare minimum."

"Mark also put him on something to help him sleep, an iron supplement and suggested a multi-vitamin, which I picked up when I got dinner." Tommy stated, coming into the kitchen and setting the take out boxes on the counter.

"So how much weight has he lost?"

"Since the last time Mark saw him, almost 15 pounds. He was also dehydrated, which is why Mark gave him the IV." He shot a look at his brother. "Ty was supposed to be resting while I went to pick up our order."

"I know." The teen replied, pulling the last of the Chinese out of the bag before making himself a plate.

"Then you need to do it, bucko." Jason stated, handing a plate to Tommy and grabbing one for himself. "Adam's already said you can't come back to the dojo for a couple of weeks."

Tyler just nodded his head as he grabbed a set of chopsticks and started eating.

After dinner, Tyler went to take a shower before he called it a night. Jason waited until he heard the water running before he turned to Tommy.

"What else did Mark say?"

Tommy sighed. He should have known that Jason would pick up on the fact that there was something else.

"He wants to see him again in a few weeks. If he's dropped any more weight, or is continuing to have problems sleeping, Mark's going to admit him and force him to undergo a psychological evaluation. The only way he won't do that is if Tyler's already seeing a counselor or psychologist."

"Tom, you knew this was coming after what Adam said yesterday. Anyone can look at Tyler and see that something's going on with him. He won't talk to us," Jason paused. "Just like you are refusing to talk to me."

Rolling his eyes, Tommy placed their plates in the dishwasher. "Here we go again. I'm not keeping anything from you Jason." Once done, he stepped out onto the back porch, taking a seat on the steps Inside, he felt cold at the lie he was trying to sell his lover and best friend. In all honesty, he was keeping a huge secret from the man, but since nothing had come of it, Tommy had thought it was in the past.

How in the hell could he tell the man that he loved with all of his heart that he had almost been raped by his boss? Or that he'd been molested, or more appropriately, manhandled and probably drugged by the guy shortly before everything went to hell on the island? Sighing softly, Tommy couldn't help but think back to his time on the island and his boss, Anton Mercer.

_Flashback_

_Tommy had just finished working out, one of the few things that he could do on the island and let his mind wander. When the door to the gym opened, he turned towards it and saw Anton come into the room. The man wasn't dressed to workout as he stepped over to Tommy._

"_Tom, I was wondering if I could speak to you privately for a few minutes."_

"_Sure Anton, what did you need?"_

"_Come to my office after you've cleaned up." With that the older man turned and walked back out._

_After taking a shower and pulling on a clean pair of khakis and a polo shirt, Tommy made his way to Anton's office. He was wondering if he'd done something lately that would bring the man's attention to him, but Tommy couldn't think of anything. _

_Anton looked up at the knock at his door. "Come in." He put down his pen when he noticed who it was and gestured towards a seat in front of his desk. "Please, take a seat Tom."_

_Taking the proffered seat, Tommy looked at his boss and mentor. "You said that you wanted to talk to me about something?"_

_The older man got up and moved around the desk to sit on the edge of it, facing the young man in front of him. "What do you see yourself doing in the future?"_

"_I've thought about teaching school. The local high school has a decent science program."_

"_Why limit yourself to high school? You could teach at a college if you wanted to and applied yourself."_

_Tommy shook his head. "I need more time than that would allow. I've got a younger brother that I'm taking care of and he needs me."_

"_Oh? Then why are you here if he needs you?"_

"_Because he wanted me to come. Trust me, if he hadn't wanted me to come and been okay with it, I would have stayed."_

_Anton nodded, then stood up. "I've got a proposition for you Thomas. I'll help you get a position at whatever school you want."_

_Raising an eyebrow, Tommy frowned slightly at him, an uneasy feeling creeping over him. "In exchange for what?"_

"_You." Before the word was completely out of his mouth, Anton was on the younger man, gripping his wrists, which were resting on the arms of the chair. Grinning at the shocked look on Tommy's face, he leaned in, brutally kissing the brunette and forcing his tongue inside. When he pulled back, he looked at Tom. "I always get what I want."_

_Tommy sat there, frozen by both the man's words and his actions. Dozens of different thoughts and emotions ran through his head, but he couldn't voice any of them._

"_Now, I will give you some time to think about my proposition," Anton stated, releasing the younger man and straightening his suit jacket. "Just remember that I hold your future in my hands." He returned to his chair behind the desk, effectively dismissing the man before him by actions alone._

_Time to think about it turned out to be until the next afternoon. Tommy had been engrossed in an experiment in one of the labs and never heard Anton enter or the other techs leave. The first he'd become aware of the other man was when he found himself pinned to the table, his hands trapped in front of him._

"_Have you thought about my offer?" Anton said, his words coming out close to the former Ranger's ear. "I promise you, it will be so much better for you if you just say yes." His arms wrapped around the younger man, stroking the muscles of his chest as his erection pressed into Tommy._

_It was all Tommy could do to speak as the older man's questing hands found one of his nipples and his cock. "I'd like some more time before I give you an answer." His words came out steady, which was a wonder considering how bad he was shaking on the inside. If he fought Anton, what would he do? The man held a lot of power in business matters as well as sway in other areas. On the other hand, the older man's attentions were making him decidedly uncomfortable._

_Anton ground himself against his protege, pulling sharply on the other man's nipple and gently stroking his cock through his pants. "I'll give you until the end of the week, but that doesn't mean that my attempts to persuade you will cease." His last words were accompanied by a lick up Tommy's neck to his earlobe combined with a sharp bite. Both of those were part of another thrusting of hips against the body in front of him._

_When he was alone again, Tommy sank to the floor, shaking. In the months that he'd worked with Anton, the man had barely cast a sideways glance at him. Now, it was like someone had thrown a switch in the millionaire and Tom found himself on the receiving end of the man's attentions. _

_End of Flashback_

That was the first time that Anton had cornered him like that, but it wasn't the last. Sighing softly, Tommy got to his feet and went back inside. He found the living room empty and started up the stairs, stopping by Tyler's room. That was where he found his lover along with his little brother. Leaning against the door jab, he watched them.

"Just try to relax, Tyler." Jason said as he continued to massage the teen's calf. He had come in to check on Ty, only to find him on the floor in pain.

Tyler nodded, then looked over towards the door, spotting his brother. His hand went out, reaching for him. "Tommy."

Tommy went over to his brother, slipping in behind the teen and helping him sit up a bit. "What's up?"

Jason looked up at him. "Found him on the floor when I came in to check on him. He's got a bad knot in the back of his calf." He winced as Tyler cried out when he tried to work another part of the knot loose. "Ty, you might have to take a muscle relaxer tonight."

"Hate them. They make me feel loopy."

"Jase is right, Ty. If it's bothering you that much, you need to take it." Tom looked at his boyfriend and nodded.

Standing up, Jason went into the bathroom and grabbed the necessary meds, which included the pill to help the teen sleep. After filling a glass with water, he went back into Tyler's room and handed him the pills. "I know you don't like them Tyler, but you need them tonight."

Tyler sighed, but took the pills from Jason and put them in his mouth before using the water to chase them down. "Happy?"

Jason leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair from the boy's forehead. "No, because you're hurting. I'm going to prop your leg up for a bit and put the heating pad under your calf. That, along with the meds, should help. Just try to relax."

Tommy kissed the top of his brother's head as he watched his lover try to make Tyler more comfortable. He could feel him getting heavy in his arms and looked at Jason. "Is he asleep?"

Looking over at the teen from where he was plugging in the heating pad, Jason nodded. "Yeah. I gave him one of the sleeping pills that Mark prescribed for him as well. Seems they act pretty fast." He went back over to the bed and helped Tommy get the teen settled.

Once in the hall, Jason looked over at his lover. "You want to call it an early night? I've got tomorrow off, but you look like you could use some sleep and we were pretty busy today."

"Sleep sounds good. I'm supposed to help Adam with a class tomorrow afternoon, but other than that I'm free." He tried to fight off a yawn, blushing when Jason laughed softly. "Told you sleep sounded good and we should try to get it while we can." He looked back at his brother's door. "Hopefully what Mark gave him will help him get through the night."

Jason put his arms around Tommy and pulled him close. "Billy suggested someone that I didn't even think about as a possible counselor for Tyler."

"Who?" Tommy had resigned himself to the fact that, if he wanted to keep his brother, then Tyler was going to have to talk to a professional about everything that he'd been through.

"Trini. Seems she went and made her hobby of solving everyone's problems back in high school into a career. She's a licensed psychologist."

"That would be great if she lived in Reefside. Last I knew, she was in New York."

"Actually, she's moving here. At least that's what Billy told me." Jason dropped his head a bit, resting his chin on his lover's shoulder. "Seems she misses home."

"And possibly a certain someone who favors the color blue?" Tommy sighed. "If you're right, and Trini moves back here, I'll have Tyler be one of her first patients."

Jason walked with him back downstairs and took a seat on the couch. They were quiet for a few minutes before he spoke.

"Maybe you should think about talking to her as well, T." He met the eyes of the man he loved. "Look at everything that's happened in the last 6 months. Tyler shows up looking like hell, ends up in the hospital where he's attacked and then you find out that your mom was killed by your step-dad. Add to that the island blowing up and trying to help Tyler deal with everything." He took hold of Tommy's hand. "It's a lot for one person to shoulder Tom."

"Jase, I'm okay. There's nothing I need to talk over with Trini."

"Then how about talking things over with me?"

Tommy sighed. "It's nothing, J. I can handle it."

"Nothing? Nothing doesn't stress you out like this, Tom. And in case you haven't noticed it, the more you stress out, the more Tyler stresses out. That's the last thing he needs right now." He ran a hand through his hair. "After all the years that we've been together, both as friends and lovers, I thought you'd talk to me, that you knew you could tell me anything."

"And if there was something to tell, I'd tell you Jason!" He stood up, frustrated. "Why can't you just leave it alone?"

"Because I love you, dammit! That means I care about you and what happens to you. I know that you're holding something back about what happened on the island. Do you think I won't understand? That I won't get it? Hate to remind you T, but I'm a hell of a lot more perceptive than you think."

"Jason, please. I love you and you know that." He sighed and shook his head. "And I know how smart you are and how you're always there for me. This is just something that doesn't concern you."

Jason got to his feet. "Doesn't concern me? Jesus Christ, Tommy. Anything that happens to you concerns me, especially when it makes you act this way."

"What way is that?"

"You won't talk to me, T. Not about the island or anything else that's happened the last few months. Tyler at least has a reason to be acting the way he is right now. From the way you talk, everything's just fine. If that was true, then why haven't we made love since the hospital? You barely let me hold you at night, Tommy." He looked at his best friend and lover. "Is there someone else? Are you mad at me for something?"

"There isn't anyone else, J. And there never could be anyone else."

"That's the way things are looking right now. How many times have you actually initiated a kiss lately? Or shared a shower with me? The only reason that I can think of for you to not do that is if there's someone else."

"Jason, there isn't anyone else. What can I say to convince you of that?"

"Talk to me, Tommy! It's not that hard. If you're tired of me and are looking for someone else, just tell me. Don't keep stringing me along just because you think I won't figure things out." His eyes began to fill with unshed tears. "You promised me that you wouldn't shut me out again, but you are Tommy. And I have to tell you, it hurts like hell."

Tommy sighed. He really wanted to tell Jason what had happened on the island, but now, hearing what he was saying, would it only confirm his lover's fears?

Jason shook his head at Tommy's silence. "I can't stay here. When you're ready to talk, even if it's to dump me, give me a call. You know where to find me. Tell Tyler I'm sorry I didn't say good-bye." He grabbed the traveling bag he kept in the closet and his jump bag, then left the house. It wasn't until he was driving away that he let the tears begin to fall.

For several minutes, Tommy could only stare at the door in silence. "Oh god, what have I done." He sank to the floor in the middle of the living room and started crying softly.

The next morning, Tyler made his way downstairs. He was still really groggy from the meds his brother and Jason had made him take the night before, but he'd slept the night through for the first time in a couple of weeks.

As he made his way to the kitchen, the teen frowned. Jason was supposed to be off that day, and usually on his days off, the man made breakfast for all of them. Shrugging, he started a pot of coffee for the two adults and poured himself a glass of juice. By the time it was done, his brother had made his way downstairs.

Tyler watched him for a few minutes before he said anything. "Jason still asleep?"

Tommy poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip before shaking his head. "We had a fight last night. He left."

The teen jumped to his feet, sending his chair crashing to the floor. "What?!? You're lying! Jason wouldn't leave. Not like that. Not without telling me."

"I'm not lying Tyler. He thinks I'm hiding things from him and he said that he couldn't take it anymore... so he left."

"It's the truth though. You are keeping things from him."

Tommy turned on his little brother. "I'm not keeping things from him Tyler Andrew. Now, why don't you go upstairs until you can keep a civil tongue in your head."

"Yeah, act like you care now. If you really cared, you would have been talking to Jason. You wouldn't have let him leave!" Tyler shook his head and ran up the stairs to his room, slamming the door shut before flopping down on his bed. He pulled a pillow to his chest and curled around it, crying softly as he wondered what else was going to go wrong in his life.

Sighing, Tommy hung his head. He shouldn't have snapped at Tyler like that. His frustration at himself was becoming harder to handle. Maybe he should have just told Jason what happened. Then at least the other man would have had a reason to leave. There was no way that his best friend, his lover, would want him after what had happened.

Shaking his head, he went out onto the back porch and took a seat on the steps. He needed the air, needed to get out of the house that was supposed to be a new start for first him and Jason, then for Tyler. Putting his head in his hands, he couldn't help but wonder when it had all started to go wrong.

Jason checked the messages on the phone in his hotel room. It had been his home for the past two weeks, since the night he'd left the house after his fight with Tommy. Both of them were from his friends. One was from Billy, letting him know that Trini had gotten in and was staying with him. The other was from Adam. Sighing, Jason replayed the message and shook his head.

"_Jase, it's Adam." There was a moment of silence on the other end. "You need to call Tyler, bro. The kid's wasting away and looks like hell. He's not talking to anyone, even me or Rocky. And him with Tommy?" A snort was heard from the part Korean. "Ty barely stays in the house with him, much less the same room." There was a soft sigh. "Jase, Rocky's thinking about pulling Ty. It's getting that rough. Tommy's not physically hurting him, but Tyler's really withdrawing into himself. Just talk to him, Jase. Talk to both of them if you can."_

With a shaking hand, he erased the message. If Tommy lost Tyler, it would destroy the man. Then again, maybe it was for the best. At least then, Tyler would be able to heal from all the crap with Russell. Sighing softly, Jason ordered a pizza before stripping to take a shower. He let the hot water flow over his body. Maybe he could take Tyler in for a bit. That meant he'd have to get an apartment. There was no way that Rocky would let him keep Tyler if he was staying in a hotel room.

He missed the teen. True, he missed Tommy more, but there was just something about seeing Tyler when he came home from work that made the job bearable. Maybe because he saw how sometimes things don't always have to end tragically for people caught up in bad situations. It was only as he was drying off that another thought hit him: what if by losing both him and Tyler, that Tommy finally snapped? What if the man he still loved, despite their words that night, tried to take his own life?

The thought alone sent a shiver through him and left a cold knot in his stomach. He was going to have to talk to Tommy. Make him see what was going on and that it had to stop before he lost his little brother. With that in his mind, Jason dressed in time to answer the door. He paid the pizza delivery man and shut the door. After he ate, he stretched out on the bed, falling into a fitful sleep.

Tyler sat on the couch, flipping through the channels with the sound off. It'd become his habit the last couple of weeks to cheek the meds his brother made him take each night and fake being asleep. Then, he'd head down to the living room as soon as he heard his brother go to bed. Tyler snorted softly. He'd flushed enough stuff down the toilet recently to put a whale to sleep. And yet, through it all, Tommy had been oblivious.

His brother had been having dreams recently that made Tyler cringe. One of them, had made him sick to his stomach. It was one of the reasons why he refused to sleep at night anymore. He would catch naps during the day, but resolutely denied himself the need for sleep at night. Unbidden, the images that he'd gotten through the bond he shared with his brother came to mind. Quickly, he got to his feet and made his way to the upstairs bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before throwing up.

In the other bedroom, Tommy tossed fitfully. His mind plagued by what had happened to him on the island.

_He'd been dreaming about one time that Jason had woken him up with a blowjob. For a long while, he'd laid there, letting his lover have his way with him. The warmth that surrounded his cock was unbelievable and he opened his eyes to gaze down upon his lover. Only when he opened them, it wasn't Jason that had his mouth wrapped around his cock. _

"_What the hell are you doing Anton?" He asked, trying to get free from the ties that were around his wrists._

_Anton grinned as he let go of the steel rod he had been enjoying. "Taking what I want." With that, he once again enveloped Tommy's cock, hollowing his cheeks as he applied suction. Humming softly, he opened a tube of lube and spread some on his fingers before slamming a finger into the man before him._

"NO!" Tommy sat up, shaking and sweating heavily. He ran a shaking hand over his face as he recalled that night. Anton had been unable to complete what he was attempting by a page. At least the older man had untied him before he left, even though his parting words of "Next time" had left him with a sick feeling in his stomach. Thankfully, the island had exploded a few days later and Tommy hadn't slept until he passed out in the water, clinging to a piece of wood.

He laid back down for a moment before he frowned as he sat back up. He could have sworn that he heard someone puking, but Tyler was asleep. Getting to his feet, he made his way to the bathroom and pushed the door open. Shaking his head, he wet a cloth before kneeling next to his little brother.

"You okay Ty?" He asked softly, putting the cloth over the back of Ty's neck.

Tyler flinched at his touch, but only nodded his head in reply. His throat was killing him since this wasn't the first time he'd had such a reaction to what his brother was dreaming. And _that _particular dream unsettled him more than anything else.

Tommy sat back, watching Tyler, then sighed. "What do you want me to do Ty? I can't help you if you refuse to talk to me."

"I'm not the one you need to talk to." Tyler stated, his words coming out raspy from his recent actions. Shakily, he got to his feet and stepped around his brother to rinse his mouth out, putting the rag back on the counter. Without looking at Tommy, he stepped out, heading once again for the couch.

"Dammit Tyler." He got up and followed his brother. "Jason is the one that left, not me."

"Because you refuse to talk to him about what happened on that damn island!"

"Nothing happened!"

"Bullshit!" Tyler glared at his brother. "Do you think I'm stupid Tommy? Huh? I might be fourteen, but even I can tell when you're hiding something. Or did you forget that I can feel what you feel? Did you forget that little bit of information? The part that saved your fucking life!"

"Watch your mouth Tyler Andrew." He stepped closer to his brother.

"Or what? You're going to hit me? I'm used to it Tommy." He shook his head. "Do you realize that since I found my spirit animal that our bond has deepened? That now, not only can I feel what you feel, but that I can see it, too? Do you have any idea what it's like to be dreaming about something and realize that it didn't fucking happen to you?"

Tommy could only stare at his brother in shock. Honestly, he hadn't given any thought to the bond that connected him to the teen... or the fact that the spirit quest might have expanded it that much.

"Please Tommy, you have to talk to Jason about what happened. Make him understand. He still loves you."

"If he loved me, he would have stayed."

"Why? So you could continue to lie to him and tell him that everything was fine? Do you not even see what you're doing to him? To yourself? Hell, to us? Your silence is destroying us Tommy." He walked towards his brother, tears in his eyes. "You and Jason are the only family that I have left. I can't lose either one of you."

"If I tell him, he won't stay Tyler. He'll leave." With a shaking hand, he reached out to wipe the tears from his brother's face. "I can't lose you both."

"You're going to, T. Unless you open up and tell him, hell tell someone, what happened. Rocky's not going to let this keep going on and you know it. He can't Tommy, even if he is your friend."

When his brother only stood there in silence, Tyler shook his head and stepped away. "Were you like this on the battlefield? Refusing to take a stand? Did the others do your fighting for you? Because right now, you're not showing that you have a backbone. You're acting like a coward, Tommy."

Tommy couldn't stop himself. It was as if he was outside of his body watching as he raised his hand, intending to slap Tyler. The only thing that stopped it from happening was Tyler stepping back. They stared at each other in silence before Tyler ran out the door, leaving it open. Moments later, the sky opened up, unleashing torrents of cold rain that seemed to match the tears that ran down both Olivers' faces, as if heaven itself was crying.

As the storm raged, Tommy sank to his knees, sobbing, as he thought about what he had almost done-- about what he'd surely lost that night by his actions and his silence.

Tyler ran, his bare feet hardly making a sound in the wet grass. Several times he fell, both in the grass and then, as he hit the pavement that marked the main road, the rock strewn sides. He didn't care where he was going and the tears that fell from his eyes combined with the rain that ran down his face. What he needed was someone who cared. Right now, that person didn't seem to be his brother. Jason. He needed to talk to Jason. The problem with that was he didn't know where the man was staying. So, he kept running.

The last time Tyler fell, he stayed on his knees for a few minutes. His chest was heaving from his effort and he could see steam rising off of his body as the heat of exertion was cooled by the night air and the rain. Slowly, he got to his feet and looked around. Nothing was familiar to him, but there was a phone booth ahead.

After making his way to the phone booth, Tyler realized that he had no money. Shaking his head, he picked up the receiver, and thankfully, got a dial tone. He hit 'zero' for the operator and waited. Once he gave the lady Jason's number, Ty could only wait for her to connect him.

Jason sighed as he picked up the phone, then realized it was his cell ringing and not the hotel phone. He grabbed his pants and pulled it out of his pocket. "Hello?"

"This is the AT&T Operator. I have a collect call from 'Tyler Oliver'. Do you accept the charges?"

"Yes." Jason waited for her to connect the call, wondering why Ty was calling him collect. "Tyler? What's wrong?"

Tyler sniffled and wiped his nose on his soaked shirt sleeve. "Ja.--ja---se?"

Fear sent Jason's heart racing as he heard the teen's voice tremble. "What's wrong Tyler? Where are you?"

"I don't know. Tommy," He broke off with a soft sob. "We had a fight."

"Are you okay?"

"He didn't hit me. Almost, but---" Ty broke off again. "I don't know what to do Jason." He started crying.

"Tyler, I need you to look around you. What do you see?"

Tyler looked around him, trying to find a landmark he could use. "I'm at some place called Lucky's, at the phone booth outside."

Jason frowned. That was a good 6 or 7 miles from the house and from the way Ty sounded, he'd ran most of the way. "All right, kiddo. I need you to listen to me. Wait right there for me, okay? I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Please hurry, Jase. I'm scared." He shivered, his arm coming up to wrap around his chest for warmth.

"I will. Just wait there." He hung up and pulled on a sweatshirt over his T-shirt and threw on a pair of shoes. Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed one of the blankets off the bed and headed out. The rain caught him by surprise with it's coldness and he hoped that Tyler was at least better prepared for this run than his last.

Shaking his head, he climbed into his SUV and headed for the diner. Less than 10 minutes later, he made the turn into the parking lot and spotted the teen huddled under an overhang. "Sweet Jesus." Jason barely had the truck in park before he was out of it and running towards him. "Tyler!"

Tyler raised his head slowly and had barely opened his eyes when he felt Jason beside him. "Hey Jase."

"God kid." Jason didn't even think twice before he picked the teen up and carried him over to the still-running car. He opened the door without having to set Ty down and then settled him in the seat. That was when he realized Tyler was barefoot. Groaning softly, Jason grabbed the blanket he'd brought and wrapped it around him. "I need you to stay awake Tyler." He put the seatbelt over the teen before running around to the other side and getting in. Throwing the SUV into reverse, he started back towards the hotel.

"What happened Tyler?" He needed to keep the boy awake and finding out what happened might be important.

"You left."

Jason sighed. "I know and I'm sorry that I did it without talking to you, again, but I had my reasons Ty."

"I know, but I lost my buffer when you left."

The former Ranger frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tyler shivered hard before answering. "After the spirit quest, the bond that Tommy and I share got stronger. I can see some of the things now where before it was only feelings. When you were there, it only happened a couple of times. After you left, I couldn't stop it from happening. I tried, but it gave me headaches, so I stopped."

Cursing silently, Jason pulled up in front of his room and got out. He slung his jump bag over his shoulder and opened the door to the hotel room. Dropping his bag, he propped the door open before going over to the teen and picking him up. There was no way that he was going to let him walk on those feet.

"Let's get you taken care of and then we'll finish talking."

Tyler hissed as Jason's hand brushed over one of the many abrasions that he knew was on his person. None of the falls he'd taken were gentle and he was starting to stiffen up after his impromptu workout.

Watching him for a moment, Jason shifted his grip slightly and kicked the truck door shut before taking Tyler into the hotel. Carefully, he eased the teen onto the other bed before shutting the door. Looking back at the teen, and getting a good look at his feet for the first time, caused the man to sigh.

"Can't ever do anything halfway, can you, kiddo?"

"Well, I wasn't really planning on getting into an argument with my older brother, accusing him of being a coward and taking off for a run barefoot during a rainstorm at night, you know?"

Jason frowned at him. "You called him a coward?" He shook his head. "Let's get you into a warm bath. It's the easiest way I know to get you warmed up and clean all of the cuts and bruises I know you've got." Looking at the teen, he raised an eyebrow. "Think you can strip if I get you to the bathroom?"

Tyler was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "Maybe the shirt, but even that would take a bit. Fell a few times while I was running."

"All right. While we're getting you cleaned up, you can tell me what the fight between you and Tommy was about."

Twenty minutes later found Jason with a set of red marks on his arms that were going to be finger shaped bruises by morning, but Tyler at least was warm and his wounds had been cleaned. Now, the teen laid on the bed, supported by several pillows and wearing only a towel, while Jason dressed the various injuries.

"Still can't believe you cussed at him."

Ty blushed. "Yeah well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." He winced when Jason picked up his left foot, the ankle of which was swollen and already turning purple. His feet weren't as badly cut up as Jason had originally thought. The blood from a few cuts had been spread around, but they had been cleaned before being dabbed with antibiotic ointment and covered with 4x4's then wrapped with gauze. Now, it was the ankle's turn to be wrapped. He was about to say something, when the room started to spin.

Jason looked up and noticed that Tyler had paled. He set the foot down and stood up, but before he could say anything Ty's eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out. If he was honest with himself, Jason had been expecting this since he saw Tyler huddled under the overhang. It didn't make handling things any easier though and really left him with only one decision.

With the teen totally out, Jason quickly finished bandaging the badly sprained ankle. Once that was done, he dressed him in a pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt. Quickly, Jason packed up his clothes and took them out to the SUV, where he dropped one side of the back seat flat. Luckily, they'd never gotten around to removing the hook that Rocky had made for the IV Jason had established on Ty for the trip to Aquabase. That hook was going to get used once again tonight.

In less than ten minutes, Jason had gotten Tyler into the truck, established an IV on the teen and headed for home. He wasn't sure what state he'd find Tommy in when he got there. Maybe thinking he'd lost Tyler by almost hitting him would drive home the fact that both brothers needed to talk to a professional.

The Earth's first Red Ranger sighed. Tyler passing out on him like that should have scared him a hell of a lot more than it did and it probably would have if it had been the first time that the teen had done that. No, the first time had been years ago, shortly after he came back from the Peace Conference. Tyler had been both practicing and playing baseball plus getting ready for a karate tournament. It had been during the summer and the heat was taking it's toll on everyone.

Taking breaks for water and sports drinks was something that he and Tommy made sure Tyler did, unlike some of the other kids he was with. A few copied Tyler on their own, but for the most part, unless someone older made them take a break, they went full speed until they dropped. Tyler dropped on them all right, but not from heat exhaustion or dehydration. Nope, it wasn't the kid's style to pass out from that. Tyler had passed out from sheer exhaustion. One minute, the kid was talking to them like a runaway train and the next he was out cold.

They just happened to be in the Command Center, technically it was the Power Chamber, when that happened and Zordon had Alpha run a few tests on Tyler to find out what happened. When their mentor had told him that he had just completely worn himself out, there had been a few laughs from the relieved teens. Tommy had rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about only his brother could do something like that. For the next few days, they kept an eye on the boy and made him take more breaks and even a couple of naps. By the time Russell and Rebecca had returned from their trip, Tyler had gotten back to normal.

Jason tossed a glance back at the teen, then sighed as he turned forward once again. God, what had happened in the past two weeks for Tyler to get into such an argument with his brother. What Tyler had said about him being the buffer between the brothers kept running through his head even as he pulled into the driveway of 1992 Valencia Road.

Stepping out of the SUV, Jason made the decision to leave Tyler where he was for now. Until he knew what kind of shape the man he still loved was in, the teen was safer out here. While a dozen different scenarios had passed through his head, what Jason saw when he opened the door and walked in was not among any of them.

Telephone and address books littered the coffee table. The phone was beeping off the hook on the floor and pacing continually from one side of the room to the other was Tommy. Jason's heart broke as he watched the former White Ranger, pace the floor. His arms were folded across his chest and tears flowed unchecked down his face. The hands that rested on his arms were not idle as they rubbed up and down his biceps in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. Right now, however, it only served to intensify the despair that the man before him was feeling.

"Tom?" Jason called out tentatively. He needed to get the other man's attention, but didn't want to startle him.

The deep voice that belonged to the owner of his heart snapped Tommy from his own musings and he started towards his lover, grabbing hold of him tightly. "Oh God, Jason. I lost Tyler. He's gone and I can't find him." His words were starting to come out hoarsely, adding to the overall effect of what tonight had truly done to him. "I don't know where to look for him. We got in a fight and he ran out. I didn't know who to call or if you were working. I've got to find him Jason. Please, help me find my brother."

Jason took a firm, but gentle hold on his lover's arms. He could feel the other man trembling. This was not normal for him by any stretch of the word."Tommy, you need to calm down, okay? I found Tyler. He's okay."

"You found him? Where is he? Is he hurt?" The sobs started coming harder. "I almost hit him Jason. I raised my hand to slap him over the truth." He started sinking to his knees, his legs unable to support him any longer and Jason went with him, helping to ease him to the floor. "What have I done? I lost you. I made Tyler leave." He raised watery eyes to Jason's. "What did I do to make you both stop loving me?"

"I still love you Tommy and so does Tyler." Jason raised a hand and gently cupped Tommy's chin. He moved his other hand to the man's wrist and wasn't surprised to find the racing pulse that resided there. "You need to calm down, Tom. Tyler's asleep out in the truck, but I'm not bringing him in until you've calmed down."

For a few minutes, it looked like Tommy was going to succeed. Then the floodgates opened again. "He tried to rape me Jason. What kind of person does that to someone else? Why did he do that? Am I that bad of a person that he felt he needed to do that to me?"

Jason stilled and his emotions became a whirlwind. 'Dear Lord, what happened on that island?' He closed his eyes and forced his own feelings aside for the moment. Right now, he had other things that came first. Suddenly, what Tyler had said about him being the buffer and the teen now being able to see some of the stuff that was going on with his brother hit home. 'God I hope Ty hasn't seen any of that.' Deep down, however, he knew that the teen probably had and those were the images that had made him physically sick.

Getting to his feet, Jason pulled Tommy up and led him over to the couch before making him lay down. "Stay right here Tommy. I'm going to go get something, okay?" When he got a nod from the crying form, Jason went back out to the SUV and pulled his jump kit up to the seat. Carefully, he measured out a dose of sedative that they used on combative patients. It wasn't the best way to handle things, but for right now, it would work.

Once back in the house, Jason knelt on the floor beside the couch. "I'm going to give you something to help you relax, T. Then I'll bring Tyler in, okay?" After another nod, the paramedic quickly administered the medication and waited for it to take effect. It wasn't long before the older Oliver was resting. Jason couldn't call it a true sleep, for now though, it would have to do.

He got Tommy settled and went back outside. This time, he put his jump kit over his shoulder and the IV bag in his teeth before picking Tyler up and carrying him inside. He settled the teen in the recliner and stuck the fluid bag behind his shoulder. Only after that was completed, did he take a seat himself and realize that his hands were shaking.

Silence settled over the house for several minutes before Jason got to his feet and went outside. Pulling his cell out, he dialed Wes' number and waited for the other man to pick up.

Wes frowned when his phone rang and he looked over at the clock before answering it. "Hello?" Eric came into the bedroom, toweling off his hair.

"Hey Wes, it's Jason. I'm sorry for calling so late."

The tone of the original Red's voice made the Time Force ranger sit up. "What's wrong Jason?"

Jason sighed. "I know this is a lot to ask and short notice, but is there any way that Tyler can stay with you and Eric for a couple of weeks?"

"Hang on a second Jason. I'm going to put you on speaker phone." He hit the button and then put the phone back so that Eric could hear as well. "Why do you need Tyler to stay with us for a couple of weeks? What happened?"

"Some issues have come up about some of the stuff that happened to Tommy on the island. Personal stuff, and because of the bond he shares with Tyler, it's taking a toll on the kid. Think of it like the shields off a Zord. They can take a lot of damage, but eventually they'll still fail. Tyler's learned to put up shields between him and Tommy." He paused.

"Let me guess. Because of the spirit quest, the bond between him and Tommy's grown to where he can't hold his shields." Eric said, surprising both Wes and Jason with his insight.

"That's pretty much what I've come up with. He and Tommy got in an argument tonight and Ty told him that he could 'see' some of what he could only feel before the quest. And Tommy's holding a lot of stuff back, even from me."

"Why doesn't Adam or one of the others up there in Reefside do it?" Wes asked.

"Because we all kind of have a bond with Tyler. If he really does need to 'recharge' his shields, then he can't do it around any of us." He ran a hand through his hair and took a shaky breath. "I had to sedate Tommy. He was so upset over Tyler running off tonight--"

Eric interrupted the man. "Jason, take care of Tyler and Tommy. Wes and I will be on our way as soon as we get dressed. The kid can stay with us for as long as he needs to or as long as you need him to."

"Thanks Eric. I'll see you guys when you get here. If you need directions once you get to Reefside, give me a call."

"We'll find it Jase. Just take care of them." Wes said, "See you in a bit." He hung up and looked over at his lover. "You ready for a teenager?"

"If it was any other teenager, I wouldn't have agreed." Eric was already getting dressed as he spoke. "There's just something about that kid though, kinda makes you want to help him."

Wes got up from where he was sitting on the bed and went over to the other man, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Just remember that when he goes to flip you on your ass again." He grinned before kissing his lover.

"Smart ass," Eric said a few minutes later. "Get dressed so we can go."

As soon as Jason had hung up with Wes and Eric, he dialed Billy's number, then waited for their resident genius to answer.

Billy frowned when he picked up the phone, having recognized Jason's number. "Jase? What's wrong?"

"I need you to come over Billy." He was quiet for a moment. "And I need you to bring Trini."

The blonde sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "What happened?"

Slowly, and somewhat haltingly, Jason told Billy what he knew from Tyler and what he'd seen from Tommy. "I can't help, but wonder if I caused part of this."

"Jason, don't do this to yourself. Sometimes the only way you can get Tommy to talk is to give him an ultimatum and you did that. Whatever happened after you left was beyond your control."

"I know that your right, but you didn't see him Billy." He sniffled softly. "And Tyler, God Billy. I can't even understand how he made it to that diner besides pure adrenaline."

"He's an Oliver, Jason. And he spent most of his childhood around people that were always doing things that they shouldn't have been able to do, powers or not." Billy chuckled softly. "That and he also had you as role model. So being stubborn about things is just second nature for him."

Despite the situation, Jason couldn't help but laugh. "I guess you're right. I'll see you and Trini when you get here. I've still got to call Rocky and Adam."

"All right. We'll see you within the hour." Billy hung up and sighed. Nothing was ever easy, but sometimes he wondered if some people got tested more than others. Shaking his head, he got up and made his way to the room that Trini was using. As he raised his hand to knock, the door opened and she came out dressed and carrying her purse.

She gave him a soft smile. "I heard you on the phone with Jason. If it wasn't something important, he would have waited until the morning to call."

Billy nodded. "Let me get changed and I'll fill you in on the way."

Jason went inside and checked on Tommy and Tyler before grabbing himself a bottle of water. He was tempted to go after something stronger, but decided that he needed his head clear more than anything else. Going back out to the porch, he re-took his seat on the steps and dialed Adam's number.

Adam groaned softly as he reached out for the phone and picked it up. "Who is this?"

"I didn't mean to wake you Adam."

"Jason?" He sat up, turning on the light. "What happened?" Adam knew the man wouldn't be calling him after midnight unless it was important.

"I need you to come over, Adam, but just you, not Tanya."

That caused the man to frown. "Something happened with Tyler, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. Look, can I tell you and Rocky at the same time when you get here? I'm not sure I can go through it a third time without it being the last time."

"Who else have you already called?" He was getting dressed as he talked.

"I called Wes and Eric first, then Billy."

"Wes and Eric?" Adam stopped what he was doing, re-taking his seat on the bed. "Tyler's personal blocks failed, didn't they?"

"Big time. Says he can now 'see' some of the stuff that he used to be able to just feel from Tommy and that I was his buffer."

"And when you left, that buffer was gone." He sighed. "Dammit. All right, Jase. I'll be over there in a few minutes. When you call Rocky, tell him I'm on my way to pick him up." Hanging up the phone, he looked over at Tanya.

"If Jason's asking Wes and Eric to come, it's bad. I'll still be here when you get back. Tomorrow, or rather today, is Sunday, so we don't have to worry about getting the dojo open." Tanya had gotten out of bed and handed him a light jacket. "Just go take care of the boys." She grinned and kissed him.

Adam took the jacket from her, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "How did I get so lucky to actually have you for a wife?"

"I decided that I need a quiet, shy frog to keep as my very own prince."

He kissed her softly, then hugged her again before letting her go. "I'll call you later, let you know what's going on."

"All right. I love you." She climbed back into bed.

Beaming at her, he winked. "Love you, too." As he shut the bedroom door and made his way out of the house, Adam couldn't help but wonder what all had happened. Tanya was right about one thing: for Jason to call any of the others, especially at this time of night, it was bad.

Rocky reached a hand out from beneath the blankets, angrily slapping at the phone. He'd only been asleep for about an hour because of an emergency with one of his foster placements. Now, his phone was ringing again. Sighing, he finally sat up and picked up the offensive device.

"DeSantos."

"Hey Rocko, it's Jase."

Instantly, the Red Ninjetti was awake. "Jason? What happened?" Like the others, he knew that something was wrong for the other man to be calling at this time of night.

"Tommy and Tyler had a fight." Jason sighed heavily. He was tired already and things hadn't even really got started. "Look, I'll tell you everything when you get here. Adam's going to be there in a few minutes to pick you up." He was quiet again for a few moments. "I need you to bring a medical release power of attorney."

Rocky frowned. "Okay, I'll see you soon." He hung up and sighed. Aisha wasn't home at the moment. She was out of town visiting some relatives, so he didn't have to worry about waking her. If he was honest with himself, there was no way that he'd let her go with him anyway. Something told him what he'd find when he got to the Oliver-Scott house wasn't going to be pretty.

Sighing heavily, Rocky got to his feet and pulled on the clothes he'd recently abandoned. Almost as soon as he was dressed, there was a light knocking at his door. Moving down the hall, he yawned while opening the door.

"This sucks." Adam stated, leaning against the door.

"Tell me about it. I've only been back for an hour from an emergency placement." Rocky grabbed his jacket, then slid past Adam. "Let's get this over with. Just need to grab my briefcase out of the car."

Jason looked up as a pair of headlights pulled into the drive. He'd gone back inside a couple of times during the last twenty minutes to check on Tommy and Tyler, but he remained outside to try and make sense of things. Getting to his feet, he greeted Adam and Rocky as they came up.

"I'm really sorry about getting you both up so late."

"Don't worry about it Jase. We know that you wouldn't have bothered unless it was important." Rocky stated, setting his briefcase down on the porch.

"So what happened?" Adam asked, glad that the rain had stopped on their way over.

After taking a drink of the soda he'd grabbed, Jason told him what had happened that night. "I called Wes and Eric first. They're coming up to take Tyler for a couple of weeks, maybe longer after seeing Tommy."

Rocky nodded. "That's why you needed the release form."

"Yeah, they're going to have to take Tyler to BioLab and make sure that there aren't any injuries that I missed. An antibiotic would probably be a good thing as well, considering some of the crap that I cleaned out of a couple of abrasions. Plus, he needs an X-ray of his ankle to make sure it's just a bad sprain."

Adam sighed. "Can't believe he made it the seven miles to Lucky's."

Jason snorted. "You're not the only one. Only thing I can figure is that he was running on pure adrenaline. When I pulled up, I actually expected to find him in the phone booth still, but he was huddled under the overhang." He shook his head. "How he was walking on those feet, much less running on that ankle... need to make sure he didn't mess anything up."

"I'll go ahead and get a release ready for Wes and Eric." Rocky said. "Any preference on whose primary?"

"Make Wes the primary. Eric's still the one that is mainly in charge of the Silver Guardians. While Wes helps him, he'll be able to spend more time with Tyler than Eric will."

"All right. I'll meet you two inside." He picked his briefcase up again and went inside, sparing a glance at the sleeping brothers before getting to work.

Adam was quiet for a few minutes, then looked at Jason. "We should have realized that the outcome of the quest might alter the bond between Tyler and Tommy."

"Well, we might have thought it would change the bond in some way, but I don't think anyone could have expected it to be the way it is now."

"Tyler tell you what he's seen?"

Jason shook his head. "After what Tommy told me, I'm not so sure that I want to ask Ty what images he's picked up. He did say that one set made him physically sick."

Adam took a seat beside Jason. "Does Tyler know that you're sending him to stay with Eric and Wes?"

"Haven't had the chance to tell him. He passed out on me in the hotel room. Soon as I finished wrapping his ankle and getting him dressed, I packed up and came home." He shrugged. "I was going to have to either extend my stay or check out in the morning anyway, so there's nothing lost there."

Neither one got a chance to say anything else as another pair of headlights entered the driveway. A few minutes later, Trini and Billy walked up to the pair.

Jason walked over and gave Trini a hug. "It's good to see you again. Just wish it was under better circumstances."

She rested her head against his chest. "I'll do everything I can to help you guys, but you're all going to have to be honest with me." Stepping back a little, Trini looked up at him. "That includes you Jason. Billy filled me in on the way over here."

For a moment, Adam thought Earth's first Red Ranger was going to refuse, then the head dropped slightly before nodding. Sighing softly, Adam walked over to Billy and shook his teammate's hand. "So are you up to speed?"

"As far as I know." The first Blue Ranger crossed his arms over his chest. "So who else is here?"

"Rocky's inside drawing up some paperwork for Wes, who's on his way with Eric."

Billy frowned. "Wes and Eric are coming?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah, Jason thinks that Tyler needs to re-charge his shields. If that's the truth, there's no way that he can do it around anyone that he has a bond with, which means all of us that were on the quest with him."

"And the rest of the Ninjetti because of the bond we all share through our spirit animals." Shaking his head, he watched the woman he loved and one of his best friends. "I thought for sure, that even with Tommy having found another power source, that things were going to calm down a bit."

"Then perhaps you should re-verify your calculations of the matter at hand."

Billy looked at Adam, raising an eyebrow at him. "Watch it Frog Boy."

They both shook their heads and grinned, watching as Trini continued to talk softly to Jason.

Jason finally stepped back and wiped his eyes. He had a feeling that it wouldn't be the first time that he cried tonight or in the days to come. Sighing softly, he looked at the others. "I figure we've got about four hours until Wes and Eric get here. Three if Wes actually let Eric drive."

Adam snorted. "Might be less than that if Andros is in the area still." He grinned. "Seems our Karovan friend has taken an interest in Ty."

"What is it about that kid?" Billy asked, shaking his head. "I mean, it's like everyone he meets, especially those that have held the Power, are drawn to him. Even Dana, though she pisses him off, is concerned about him, which I think overrules her better judgment at times."

A soft chuckle came from Jason. "You realize how many of the people that are drawn to Ty are ones that he's put on their ass?"

Grinning Adam, looked at them. "Or he's just out right insulted them."

Trini raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

Jason laughed softly. "First time Tyler met Andros was because the kid had fallen off a cliff. It was the morning after the spirit quest. Seems Andros was tracking a 'ghost' ranger signature, which happens to belong to Tyler." He held his hand up to stop her question. "We'll explain it in a bit. Or Billy can later. Anyway, Ty hurt himself a bit when he tried to hang onto the ledge. Andros offered to take the Ninjetti, Tyler and myself up onto the Megaship to use the medbay. When Ty woke up from the treatment, Andros said something about Olivers being weird and it riled Tyler. Asked Andros who he was calling weird when he couldn't pick what color he wanted his hair to be."

Adam snorted. "Went so far as to tell Andros to pick blonde or brown. Or if he wanted to be exotic, go red and it would match his wardrobe."

Trini's eyes widened. "Tyler? Sweet, shy kid who was always hanging around us? That Tyler?"

"He's not so shy anymore, Tri." Billy stated, coming up behind her. "In the past month since Tommy blew up the island, Tyler's flipped Eric Myers onto his ass in the Aquabase hospital."

"Plus, he's beaten up a group of their security force and put Dana on her back." This came from Adam, who stood, grinning at her reaction.

Jason nodded. "And he's insulted Andros. That was all within a 48-hour time frame. Apparently last night he added to his list of 'accomplishments' by calling Tommy a coward."

"And he's still alive?" Trini squeaked, remembering how Tommy's temper could be.

"That's why when Tom raised his hand to hit him, Tyler avoided it and ran." Jason sighed. "Which brings us to the reason I wanted you here Trini. With Tyler going to stay with Wes and Eric, I want you and Billy to come up to the cabin with Tommy and I. The stuff that's going to go on once we get Tom to talk needs to be done in a neutral setting. That cabin is as neutral as we've got available. Plus, the change of scenery will help all of us be able to handle what we're going to hear a little bit better."

"What all did Tommy say to you when you got here, Jase?" Billy asked, concerned for his friends.

Jason was quiet for several moments and when he finally spoke, emotion filled his voice. "From what I gathered, I think Tommy was sexually assaulted by Anton Mercer. Knowing T, he's blaming himself for whatever happened."

Trini walked over and put her arms around him. The pair were quickly joined by Adam and Billy. Soft sobs could be heard coming from the original Red Ranger, but that was the only sound that came from the small group.

Several minutes later, Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I get the feeling this won't be the last time that we do this in the next few weeks."

"Or months." Trini stated, stepping back a bit and wiping her own eyes. "This is going to take some time Jason. Tommy's got some things he's going to have to deal with and it's not going to be easy for him." She looked up and met his eyes. "Or you. You're going to have to talk about stuff as well Jason. What it was like for you taking care of Tyler while Tommy was on the island; how you've felt since the island exploded. This is going to effect you as well. Tyler's already got more to deal with than any boy his age needs. Before you bring him home again, you and Tommy are both going to have to get back on steady ground as a couple and individually."

He nodded. "We should head inside. I have to get a list together for Eric and Wes."

Adam chuckled. "Yeah, titled 'The Care and Feeding of Tyler Andrew Oliver'."

Billy grinned. "Well, it is true. There are certain things you have to be careful of with Tyler."

Trini rolled her eyes. "He cannot be that bad."

The others just looked at each other, then at her before shaking their heads and going inside.

Rocky looked up as the group came in and nodded at Jason. "Paperwork's done for them with Wes as the primary. Gave them a list of his meds as well."

"Appreciate it Rocky. I've got some other things I need to write down for them anyway."

"If he's there for more than a couple of weeks, they can go ahead and let him start training again." Adam stated. "I'll give Wes the list of moves that he's been doing, what his restrictions still are and what his physical therapy entails. Once they get here, I'll show both of them a few of the things I do with him."

"Before he starts actually sparring though, I'd like for you or Rocky, even the both of you, to go down there and pick a few people for him to go against. I don't want to risk him getting hurt or hurting someone on accident."

Rocky nodded. "We can do that." He was quiet for a moment. "You know that you're going to have to explain to Tyler why he needs to go with Eric and Wes."

Jason sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm kind of hoping that Tyler wakes up first."

"Could always try waking him up." Adam suggested, grinning.

"No, thank you. I'd rather not get anymore bruises on my body than what I get during the week at work."

Trini raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

A couple hours later, Trini rolled her eyes at the guys, but before she could say anything, a soft noise had her turning towards the teen. From where she stood, it was obvious that Tyler was having some sort of dream. A quick glance showed that the guys were stilled involved in their little conversation about what stuff needed to be written down for Wes and Eric about the boy in question.

She hesitated for a second before going over to Tyler. Billy picked that moment to look over at her and noticed that Trini was reaching out to shake Ty's shoulder.

"Trini, stop!"

Before he had finished, Trini's hand made contact with Tyler's left shoulder. Whether it was because he didn't recognize who was touching him or the fact that she had grabbed his bad shoulder, but Tyler suddenly reached up and grabbed her by the wrist.

Billy's words had turned everyone's attention to what was going on in the living room. As soon as Tyler had reacted, Jason, Rocky and Adam had moved closer to the teen.

"Trini, don't try and fight him or pull away." Jason stated, positioning himself near Ty's injured ankle. "Just stay still until he turns loose."

Wincing slightly, she nodded. "He's got a grip."

"Found that one out the hard way myself," Rocky said, chuckling softly. "Only, it wasn't my hand that he grabbed."

A few soft chuckles came from the group clustered around the teen before Ty started to react to whatever was happening to him in his dream.

Jason groaned softly. "Rocky, grab his good shoulder and put a hand on his chest. Try to keep him still the best you can. Adam, take his right thigh and hip. If he twists that knee, he'll be rehabbing it again. Billy, grab me a slightly cool cloth."

"Is he okay, Jason?" Trini asked as she watched the teen worriedly.

"Happens every once in a while." As Jason was talking, Tyler jerked, slamming his already injured ankle into the footrest of the recliner. "Shit. That's not going to help things."

Tyler groaned, but didn't wake up. His thrashing around increased, however, before tightening up his grip on Trini's wrist, causing her to gasp slightly.

Moving quickly, Jason gently took hold of Tyler's left leg, pinning it to the recliner so that he couldn't hurt himself any further. As quickly as it started, the teen went still and released Trini's wrist.

"All right, let go of him and move back. Li'l dragon doesn't need to know how bad he just scared everyone." He took the washcloth from Billy even as Tyler broke out in a cold sweat. "You okay Trini?"

"Yes, he didn't really hurt me. Scared me more than anything."

Rocky nodded. "That's part of the reason that we tell people not to startle him. Until he gets used to you again, I wouldn't try to approach him without him being aware that you are there. Otherwise, you might find yourself on the ground like Dana did the morning after the spirit quest."

"And we had warned her the day before to not go towards Ty unless we told her it was okay." Adam stated, grinning as he shook his head.

As Jason finished wiping off Tyler's face, he frowned at the lack of response from the teen. Usually by now, he was at least starting to wake up. Gently he tapped Tyler's face. "Ty, come on bud. Time for you to wake up."

Rocky came back over to the pair. "Is he okay Jason?"

"Don't know yet. By now he's usually starting to come around." Jason made a fist and placed it on Tyler's sternum, then gave it a hard rub. The teen groaned softly and started to open his eyes. "Easy Ty, don't rush it bud." Relaxing slightly, Jason let go of the breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding.

It took a couple of minutes before he finally opened his eyes and focused on Jason's face, which hovered worriedly in front of him. "Jase?"

"Yeah kiddo, it's me. Rocky and them are here as well."

"We're at home?"

"Figured you'd be more comfortable here and I wanted to check on your brother."

"Tommy." Ty tried to sit up, but Jason put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"He was really upset, Ty. I had to give him something to get him to calm down and it made him sleep." Jase nodded his head a bit. "Look over to your right and you can see him on the couch."

Tyler turned his head to the side, then sighed and relaxed back into the recliner. "So why is everyone here?" He frowned, then looked up at Jason. "Who'd I grab?"

"You grabbed Trini. She's okay, but you definitely startled her a bit. As for why everyone's here," He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Tommy has some things he has to work through, Ty and you being around him while he does that is not going to be the best thing for you. I called Wes and Eric. They're coming up and I'd like for you to go stay with them for a bit."

"Because my shields suck right now."

Jason chuckled softly. "Pretty much, yeah. Rocky, Adam or Billy would have let you stay with them, but since they were all with you at the spirit quest--"

"I have a bond with them as well." The teen was quiet for a few minutes, then nodded. "Long as I can still talk to you and Tommy every couple of days."

Strong arms wrapped around the teen as the first Red Ranger hugged him. "As often as you want or need to call us. We're going up to the cabin so that the surroundings will be a bit better for what needs to be done, but we'll both have our cellphones with us."

Ty nodded against his shoulder, then winced a bit. "Can I have a couple Tylenol? My ankle's really starting to hurt."

"Let me check it over first. You hit it against the footrest and I want to make sure that you didn't do anything else to it."

"Okay." He sat back and watched as Jason knelt beside him before unwrapping his ankle. A grimace crossed his face when he got a look at the colors that were present. "That looks like--"

Adam clamped a hand over Tyler's mouth. "Now, now. There is a lady present." He suddenly jerked his hand back. "Gross! Dammit Tyler, why'd you lick me?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you put your hand over my mouth?"

Rocky chuckled softly. "Yeah, but you don't know where that hand's been."

Billy cocked an eyebrow. "Something you two need to tell us Rocko?"

Adam put his hands up. "I'm not in on this one."

Rocky blushed, but didn't say anything. They all laughed softly just before a knock sounded at the door.

Billy went over and answered it, grinning at the people on the other side. "Hey Wes, Eric. See you made it here in one piece."

Wes snorted as he entered the house. "At least the road to the house made Eric slow down a bit."

"Hey, I never went more than 15 mph over the speed limit." Eric stated, coming in behind his boyfriend. He looked around. "Well, is this a party?"

Jason shook his head. "Maybe in your mind." He looked at Ty. "Doesn't look like you did anything else to it, but Eric and Wes are going to take you by BioLab to get everything checked out."

Eric made his way over, frowning at the teen's ankle. "Damn kid, trying to go for every color possible in that thing?"

"Not particularly. Besides, I'm not the one that has to keep changing colors. I leave that up to my brother." He winced a bit as Jason started re-wrapping his ankle.

Wes grinned. "Yeah, he does seem to like keeping everyone guessing about what color he's going to be next."

"Hear you're coming to spend some time with us." Eric said, watching Jason as he finished wrapping the kid's ankle. "Got everything you need?"

"We've already packed him some clothes. Even a couple of pairs of khakis and polos." Rocky grinned as he finished speaking.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going out anywhere that I need to even worry about wearing something other than jeans and a T-shirt."

Soft laughter came from Wes as he walked over to the teen. "Hate to tell ya kiddo, but you just might, especially if my dad gets back in town while you're staying with us. He's kind of a stickler about dressing for dinner, even if it's just slacks and a polo."

"Hopefully he won't be back in town."

"Considering he just left a couple of days ago and wasn't planning on coming back for a few months, you might be in luck." He reached out and ruffled Ty's hair.

"You probably won't be doing much of anything for a couple of weeks, sport. Wes is going to make sure you get seen at BioLab once you guys get back to Silver Hills. I want you to listen to the docs, Ty. If he says you stay off that ankle for 2 weeks or more, you do it, okay?"

Ty cocked an eyebrow at Jase. "Two weeks? Oh, come on! I'll go stir crazy by then. Even you and Tommy have let me keep up with the katas despite the weight loss."

"Jason's right, Tyler. For how ever long the doctors tell you to keep off of it, you'll have to do it despite how much you might not like it. I will back them off about the weight loss." Wes put a hand on his shoulder. "The pool at the Guardians' headquarters is heated, so maybe we can get them to let you swim a bit, but only after your feet heal."

"Can someone at least come down and pick out a couple sparring partners for me?"

Adam chuckled softly, along with Rocky. "Rocky and I will be down there in a couple of weeks to do that. Pretty sure that Wes or Eric wouldn't be a bad match up for you. After that, it'll depend on how many Silver Guardians are actually willing to possibly get beaten by a 14 year old."

"Am I still going to be eligible for the end of summer tournament?"

Rocky groaned. "Oh man, I still have to set the date for that." He looked at Tyler. "If you're gone for longer than a month, then we'll accept Wes and Eric's reports about your workouts as class attendance. So, yes, you'll still be eligible."

"What kind of tournament are you talking about?" Eric asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Every summer, a couple of weeks before school starts, we have a school tournament where a winner is proclaimed for each belt level. The black belts all compete against each other and the final winner is school champion." Adam grinned. "Then the school champ goes against our guest instructor. If the instructor wins, they can request some sort of compensation, however, if the school champ wins then they get to have the guest instructor do something for them."

"So who's won in the past years?"

"Tyler." Jason said, grinning. "He's won the past couple of years. Before that he was the champion red belt for the school. Mike Wilder was the winner for the first 3 years we had the tournament. This will be the sixth year we've held it. Tommy and I haven't really been involved with the tournament itself for the past 4 years."

"Why not?" Wes asked.

"Because of my idiot step-father." Ty sighed and started to sit up. "Need to go to the bathroom."

Wes waved Jason off. "I got it."

Adam stepped up. "Why don't I give you a hand? This way I can show you some of the techniques I use in his physical therapy."

"He doesn't walk on those feet guys. So until he gets checked out, I'm sorry Ty, but you'll have to be carried."

"That just blows." He was quiet for a moment before nodding. "Fine, but let's get it over with."

"It'll probably be easier if I just carry him in there," Wes stated. "Then you can show me those techniques in the guest room."

"Works for me." Adam looked over at Jason, as Wes carefully picked the teen up and carried him to the bathroom. "Tylenol or one of his painkillers?"

"Painkiller-- he hit that ankle pretty hard on the recliner. Tylenol might work for now, but in a couple of hours he'd be hurting again." He was quiet for a moment. "Adam, give him a dose of Midrin as well. All the stress right now, even if he's not showing it, would be just the trigger for him to have a migraine. Better if we head it off now."

"Will do."

As Wes and Adam left with the teen, Eric turned to the others. "Okay, so what do I need to be on the lookout for with Tyler, especially if he gets a migraine?"

Rocky grinned. "We've got it all written out for you. The moves Adam uses with Tyler won't be a problem for you to learn from Wes. Ty for that matter can tell you as well."

"Tyler knows what he can and can't do, Eric." Jason stated, laying a hand on the Quantum Ranger's shoulder. "What we're giving you are mainly things to try and avoid, or what to do if he has a night terror." He removed his hand and walked over to a cabinet. Opening it, he removed a small black case and brought it over. "This is Tyler's morphine kit. We have two of them and one is already packed." Jason opened the case and showed his friend the contents. "There are 3 pre-loaded 1cc doses of morphine. If he gets a migraine or tells you that he's getting one, try to get him to take the Midrin. Once he starts getting sick to his stomach, you'll have to rely on the Imitrex for the migraine and Reglan for his nausea."

Eric frowned. "What can cause him to get a migraine?"

Billy sighed. "Almost anything. We're still trying to figure out what all of his triggers are, but one of the biggest for Tyler is currently stress."

"Oh great, like he's not going to get enough of that over the next few weeks." Shaking his head, Eric looked at Jason. "So what's the time intervals on all this stuff?"

"If he can take the Midrin, you've got to wait 6 hours. It'll make him sleep, which is fine. Try to get him into a cool, dark and quiet place. You can use a blindfold if you have to in order to help keep out the light. After 6 hours, if he tells you it's not getting any better, give him a dose of the Imitrex. You'll have injectable and tablet forms of that. If after another 4 hours, his migraine is still going, give him a dose of the morphine and get him to the BioLab."

"They can get that bad?"

Rocky nodded. "So far, at least as much as Ty's been willing to admit it, he's never had one bad enough to use the morphine."

"There have been times that he could have used it though." Jason stated. "Like the day that Tommy was rescued. It took three doses of his old meds to get the migraine to break. Then again, it was his fifth one that month."

"So how often does he get one?"

For a few moments no one said anything, then Jason spoke again. "I can't tell you if he's had any the past couple of weeks. Tommy and I had a fight two weeks ago. I walked out and haven't been back until tonight."

Eric sighed. "I'm sorry, Jason. Guess things really have gotten kind of bad around here, huh?"

"Considering the fact that for most of the past two weeks Tommy and Tyler haven't been in the same room with each other? Yeah, that's kind of an understatement at this point." Rocky stated, looked up at the other man from his seat. "What all Tyler's said tonight is the most that he's said at all in that time."

A soft groan stopped them from saying anything else. Instantly, Jason was moving towards the source and knelt at Tommy's side. "Easy Tommy."

Slowly, Tommy opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with Jason. He frowned for a moment. "Jase?"

"Yeah, I'm right here." He brushed a bit of hair off of Tommy's face. "Think you can sit up?"

"Give me a minute."

"Take your time." Jason sat back a bit, but reached out a hand to gently take hold of the other man's wrist. "Least your pulse has slowed down."

"Is Tyler okay?" He let Jason help him sit up a bit, then leaned against the side of the couch.

"He's a bit bruised up. Made it to Lucky's before he called me." Looking over his shoulder, Jason nodded at Rocky, then turned back to Tommy. "Tom, I called Eric, Wes, and a few of the others after I got you and Tyler settled." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I think it's best if Tyler goes with Wes and Eric for a while."

Tommy was silent for several minutes before he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with unshed tears. "Why? Why do you want to send him away from me?"

"Tommy, look at me." Jason forced his lover to look at him. "I'm not sending him away from you to hurt you, T. Right now, Tyler has no shields. The bond you two share grew a lot after the spirit quest. He can now see the things that he used to only feel from you."

"He told me that before--" It finally clicked what exactly Tyler and Jason were talking about and he paled. "Oh God, what have I done?"

"It wasn't your fault. Tyler was keeping quiet about everything. Tonight, it all just came to a head. That's why he needs to go with Wes and Eric. They don't have the bond with him that Billy, Adam or Rocky do. Even Tanya and Aisha have a bond with Ty through the team bond you guys share."

"What about us?"

"You and I are going to go up to the cabin for a while. I've already gotten an emergency leave of absence from the Captain." It was one of the phone calls that he'd made while waiting for the others to start arriving. The man had been understanding. He'd even said that he had been expecting something like this long before now, but was okay with Jason taking as long as was needed to get things straightened out. "Billy and Trini are going to come with us."

Again, Tommy was quiet for a few moments before he softly nodded his head. "Can I talk to Tyler before we leave?"

"Yeah, you can. Wes and Adam are with him right now. Adam's teaching Wes a few of the techniques to use in Ty's therapy. For right now, I want you to just sit here and rest. Once Tyler and them get going, we're going to get some sleep. That'll give Billy and Trini some time to get some rest and pack for the cabin. We'll grab groceries and stuff on the way up."

"How long are we going to be gone for?"

"At least two weeks, probably closer to a month."

"What? You can't expect me to stay away from Tyler for that long. Not after just getting him back."

Tyler spoke up from where he rested in Adam's arms. "We'll talk T, I promise." He let the man holding set him down beside his brother. "I'm not crazy about it either, but right now were bad for each other."

Tommy wrapped his arms around the teen and pulled him close, the tears he'd held back with Jason finally falling. "I'm so sorry, Tyler. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know and I know that that if you were really okay after what had happened both before and after the explosion, this wouldn't have happened." His own tears were starting fall as he rested his head against his brother's shoulder. They fell silent then, content, for now at least, to just hold one another.

Jason shooed the others out of the way, letting the brothers have some privacy. Directing them all to the back porch, he frowned when he saw two people coming towards them through the trees. "What the hell?"

Andros stepped into the soft light that spilled out from the house followed by Zhane. "DECA alerted me to a spike in Tyler's readings. Is he okay?"

Rocky and the others chuckled softly as Jason just shook his head.

"Any particular reason why you're monitoring Tommy's little brother?" The first Red Ranger asked.

Zhane snickered. "Andros has done nothing, but monitor the kid since he got back. And I have to say, after watching the security footage of what Tyler said to him in the medbay, I'm looking forward to meeting the kid that can take Andros down a peg or two."

Rolling his eyes, Eric spoke up. "Is this going to be Tommy's revenge ultimate revenge on all of us? Siccing his little brother on us?"

Wes chuckled softly. "Your still upset that he landed you on your ass, and he wasn't even feeling that great when he did it."

Andros seemed to perk up a little at this. "Really? So, I'm not the only one the twerp's done something to like that?"

"No, you're not." Jason stated, grinning. "Although, I'd love to see what Tyler's got to say about Zhane."

"I'm game," The Silver Space Ranger stated. "Where is he?"

"Give them a few more minutes." Adam stated, speaking up from his position near the door. "In the mean time, Trini, I'd like you to meet Andros and Zhane, they took over after the Turbo Team. Guys, this is Trini Kwan, Earth's first Yellow Ranger."

She grinned at Andros. "Okay, now I get why Tyler made the crack about your hair."

He just shook his head. "Least it's not green."

Inside, Tyler finally sat up and looked at his brother. "You have to talk to Jason. He's not going to leave you over what happened."

Tommy sighed. "You don't know that for sure."

"Are you fucking stupid?!" His voice was starting to go up. "If he was going to leave you, it would have been way before now, Tommy. Get it through your head that the man loves you!"

"Watch your mouth Tyler. Just because you're frustrated doesn't mean you get to take that tone."

Jason winced when he heard the yelling. "Excuse me for a minute." He went inside. "What is going on in here?"

Tyler snorted. "Other than my brother being a total fuckin' moron thinking that you're going to leave him about the crap that happened to him on the island? Nothing."

"I said to watch the language, Tyler Andrew." Tommy stated, glaring slightly at the teen. "Jason has done nothing, but ask you a question. Being mad at me doesn't give you the right to take it out on everyone else." He stood up, then looked at his brother. "You owe him an apology."

Jason was about to protest when Tyler suddenly stood up. "You're right, I shouldn't have gotten mad at Jason. He's not the one being an idiot, you are!" Without warning, Tyler struck out at his brother with a right hook.

Tommy barely caught the fist before it connected and forced his arm up behind Tyler's back. "Stop it Tyler!"

"Let go of me! Let me go dammit!" He tried to head butt his brother until Tommy put him in a choke hold.

"Tyler, calm down." His voice was firm, but the yelling had drawn the others inside, who were now standing by Jason.

Tyler stilled, but remained tense. ".Go."

Rocky frowned and went to stand in front of the pair. "Stand down, Oliver, now!"

The teen's eyes snapped over to those of his Sensei and he relaxed in Tommy's hold. "Sorry, Sensei."

"I'm not the one you owe an apology to, however, you will owe me something else when I see you in two weeks. Understand me?" Rocky knew that the teen was strung tight, but it was still no excuse for how he was acting.

"Yes, Sensei."

Tommy let go of his brother and forced him to sit down on the couch. "What were you thinking Tyler?"

"I was just mad because you seemed ready to throw away what you have with Jason." He met his brother's eyes as tears started to fall once again. "Don't want you to do that and I figured if you got mad enough at me, you'd send me away and not want me back. Then you could go back to it just being you and Jason."

"Aw Tyler." Pulling the teen into his arms, Tommy looked over at Jason, who joined them on the couch and put his arms around them both.

"Listen to me Tyler. We are not going to send you away. You're stuck with us just like your brother is stuck with me. After we get your shields rebuilt and you're brother's head going back to what is normal for him, the three of us are going to spend some time together. Maybe go camping for a couple of weeks or something." Jason was quiet for a moment. "And while you're with Wes and Eric, I want you to think about something for me, okay?"

Tyler nodded, not moving his head from where it rested against his brother's chest.

"I want you to think about becoming my son." It was something that he and Tommy had talked, even before Tyler had come to live with them. The idea had been that if everything went bottom up, that they would get Ty out of the house and away from Russell. Then, Jason would adopt him. Now, it was something that they could actually carry out.

For a moment, the entire house was silent and Tyler could only stare at the man. Jason's heart was slowly shattering when he suddenly found himself with his arms full of teenager. "I'm guessing this means you'll think about it?"

"Why should I have to think about?"

Tommy put a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Because you need to Tyler. It would mean that Jason would be your father in all, but blood. We'd make decisions about some things together, but in the end, he would be the one that has the final say. This is something that we both want, but you need to take the time and think over everything it would mean. So, don't give him, or us, an answer about it right now, okay?"

When Tyler started to say something else, Jason laid a finger against his lips. "Not tonight. Any questions you have about it, write them down. When you've got a handle on your shields, your brother's dealt with some of the stuff from the island and we're all three back together again, we'll sit down and talk about it. Answer any questions you have then, but for right now, you both need to relax before we head off to the places we need to be."

Tyler nodded, then settled back against Jason, who was now sitting next to Tommy. That's when he noticed Andros and someone he didn't recognize. "Aw, Two-Tone's here... and he brought a friend."

Andros just stared at the teen, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out a comeback.

"We playing charades now? Because that's a fish if I ever saw one."

Eric shook his head as Wes leaned against him, laughing. All of the others, except Andros and Zhane were trying to cover up their grins. Zhane, walked over to the teen and picked him up, then looked at Andros.

"I like him, 'Dros. Can we keep him?"

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the blonde that was holding him. "I don't think he likes me too much, but you can lock him out of the ship, right?"

"Well, that depends. We can just lock him in the engine room and forbid DECA from letting him have any control. That way he can fix the ship when it breaks."

"Good idea." Tyler laughed softly. "So who are you?"

Zhane took a seat with the teen still in his arms. While he was holding him, he could help shield him from the multitude of emotions coming off of Tommy. "I'm Zhane. Andros and I have been friends for a while."

"So what color were you?" The others chuckled at the look on Zhane's face at the question.

Jason grinned. "Get used to it Zhane."

"Silver. I served with Andros and the other Space Rangers."

"Oh, you were the dude on ice, huh?"

Andros rolled his eyes, finally snapping out of the shock he'd been suffering from. "Technically, he was cryogenically frozen. And who told you about that anyway?"

Tyler shrugged. "Rocky. When he talks on the phone he gets kinda loud and it's hard to miss some things."

Sighing Rocky shook his head. "Okay, so I was talking to TJ after the Red mission and he was filling me in on things. Might have said a few things out loud."

"Only you Rocko." Jason shook his head and pulled Tommy closer to him. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, starting to get tired again."

"I know you don't want Tyler to go, but it's for the best right now."

"Just feel like I'm sending him away because I can't handle him."

Trini heard the statement and came over, kneeling in front of her friend. "Tommy, you're not sending him off with Wes and Eric because he's a problem. He's going with them because you care about him and I know you don't want to hurt him anymore. If he stays, without anyway to protect himself from your bond, it's going to hurt him a lot more. For now, this is the best thing for both of you."

Tyler let his head drop against Zhane's shoulder. He could feel the calm radiating off the other man and was trying to absorb as much of it as he could.

Zhane looked up at Andros. //His mental shields are totally shot, Andros. I might spend a few days in Silver Hills once he's starting to recover, teach him how to rebuild them.//

Andros nodded, but didn't say anything.

Tommy finally nodded and looked over at Zhane. "Think you can bring Ty back over here for a few minutes?"

Eric put a hand on Wes' shoulder. "I'm going to take his stuff out to the car, put the backseat down so he can stretch out and get some sleep." When Wes nodded, the Quantum Ranger went over to Adam. "Help me get his stuff out to the car?"

"Yeah, no problem." He led Eric over to where Tyler's stuff was sitting and helped him get it out to the car. Outside, he sighed. "You'll need to watch Tyler for a few days. All the stress from tonight, it might not hit him right away, but it's liable to cause a migraine."

"We'll watch him, I promise." Setting the bags on the floor of the backseat, Eric laid the seat down before spreading out the sleeping bag he'd grabbed before they left Silver Hills. Then he walked with Adam back into the house.

Rocky handed Wes a folder. "It's got the power of attorney and the list of things to watch for, plus all of meds and when he has to take them. At the bottom is all of our numbers: home, work, cell and other alternate numbers."

Wes nodded. "Thanks Rocky. We'll see you and Adam in a couple of weeks."

Zhane carefully stood with Tyler in his arms and carried him over to Tommy, setting the teen on his brother's lap, but keeping a hand on his shoulder. At the questioning look, he explained.

"I can shield him as long as I'm touching him. His mind is pretty raw and open right now. In a week or so, once he's started to recover, I'll go to Silver Hills and work with him a bit."

Tommy nodded. "Thanks Zhane." He sighed and rested his forehead against Tyler's. "I love you and I'm going to miss you. You've got our numbers and you can call anytime you want, okay?"

"Okay." Tyler's voice was soft as he spoke, emotions making it hard. "Love you."

Leaning in, Jason wrapped his arms around both of them. "Behave for Wes and Eric, Ty. We'll call once we get up to the cabin tomorrow." He kissed the top of the teen's head. "Love you, li'l dragon."

Tyler leaned over and put an arm around Jay's neck. "Love you, too." He sighed, then shivered slightly.

Jason looked up at Zhane, who was starting to sweat, then looked over at Wes. "Time to go."

Billy took the folder from Wes. "You carry him, Wes. Most of the rest of us have a bond with him."

Moving over to them, Wes looked down at Tyler. "Ready to go?"

"Not really, but I know I need to." He gave Jason another hug and kissed the older man's cheek before doing the same to his brother. Only then did he reach his arms up to Wes.

Wes gently cradled the teen in his arms, looking down at him as Tyler rested his head against his shoulder. "We'll call you when we get back to the house. Let you know we got there okay."

"Appreciate it, Wes. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call." Jason held Tommy as Wes turned, carrying the teen.

Billy ruffled the teen's hair. "You've got my email if you need anything. And I'll send you Trini's as well."

"Okay, thanks Billy."

Trini laid a hand on his arm. "Call me if you want to talk and don't want to talk to a guy."

He gave her a small grin. "I will."

Adam and Rocky stepped up, one on each side, but Adam spoke first. "You might have to help Wes and Eric until they get the hang of things and don't push it, all right?"

Tyler blushed slightly. "I won't, promise Uncle Adam. Love you."

Leaning in, the Asian planted a light kiss to his forehead. "Take care of yourself, kiddo. Love you,too."

Rocky brushed a strand of hair off the teen's face. "We'll see you in a couple of weeks and you'll owe me 10 for language and 10 for disrespect, understand?"

"Yes, Sensei." He leaned into the touch as Rocky put a hand on his cheek.

"Love you, sport." He planted a small kiss on Ty's temple.

"Love you, too Uncle Rocky." Sighing softly, he shivered in Wes' arms.

Andros put a hand on Wes' shoulder. "You need to get him out of here before he gets overwhelmed."

Wes nodded, walking towards the door where Eric waited with the file Billy had handed off to him. "See you all later."

Eric looked over at Tommy and Jason. "We'll watch out for him, I promise. Once we get back, we'll take him to BioLab before calling you, let you know what the doc says."

"Thanks Eric. We'll see you later." Jason stated, kissing the top of Tommy's head as his lover buried his face in his chest. "He'll be okay, Tommy. You know that Wes and Eric won't let anything happen to them."

Rocky laughed softly. "Hell no, because if they did let something happen to Tyler, then they'd have a whole lotta former Rangers after them.

That got chuckles from them all before Andros sighed. "Zhane and I are going to go, but we'll keep a watch on Tyler from DECA as well."

Zhane nodded. "I'll give him a week or so, like I said, then go and help him with his shields. When you and Jason are ready, Tommy, I'll be more than happy to help you both as well. Or Andros can, it's up to you."

"Thanks Zhane, I appreciate that." Tommy stated, before yawning. "Sorry."

Andros shook his head. "Don't apologize. You need to get some rest. We'll be touch." He and Zhane left through the back door, disappearing into the woods.

Eric held the door for Wes as he put Tyler into the car. Ty had fallen asleep almost as soon as they were out of the house. When the teen was settled, Wes wrapped his arms around his lover and held him for several minutes. "I almost couldn't walk out of there with him. Tommy's eyes--"

Gently, Eric ran a hand up and down Wes' back. "I know. He really loves Tyler and is afraid of losing him, but you felt the kid starting to react to being in there and that was even with Zhane helping to shield him."

"I know." Wes sighed and stepped back a bit. "I'm going to ride in the back with Tyler. I don't want him to wake up alone."

"Try to get some rest yourself. I was able to get a nap this afternoon while you were at that board meeting. I'll call Sgt. Willis and have him take care of things for the day. That way we can get Tyler seen at BioLab, then settled at the house."

"All right, wake me if you need a break." Wes stretched out in the back of the SUV. As Eric started driving, he found himself watching the sleeping teen, wondering just what the road that lied ahead of him held. Those thoughts held his attention as he drifted off to sleep.

Rocky and Adam made their way over to the couch where Tommy and Jason sat. Billy and Trini were in the kitchen, cleaning up the assortment of cups that had grown while getting things ready.

"We'll keep an eye out on things here for you guys." Rocky stated. "In a couple of weeks, we'll go down and see how Tyler's doing."

Adam nodded. "Just keep us in the loop about how things are going up at the cabin, okay?"

Jason nodded. "That might be more of Billy's job. Not so sure that I'll be able to concentrate on something like that when the time comes."

"Then let Billy handle it. You two concentrate on starting the healing process so that you can get back here and bring Tyler back home." For a moment, Rocky was quiet, then he looked at them both. "If you're really serious about wanting to adopt Ty, you'll have to wait until Tommy's guardianship of him is finalized. That won't be until December. The earliest you could put in an application would be January."

Tommy nodded. "Thanks Rocky. We talked about it before Tyler even came back into our lives, so I know it's something that Jason really wants to do." This was confirmed by a nod from the first Red. "It's something that we need to sit down and truly talk over with Tyler, however, because it'll mean some changes in how things are done."

"There's time to worry about all of that," Adam stated. "The focus right now needs to be on getting things out in the open about what happened on the island."

Trini came in at that moment with Billy and nodded. "Adam's right." She took a seat on the coffee table in front of her two friends. "Jason already told us what you told him when he brought Tyler home earlier. I'm not going to ask you anything about it tonight, but we will be talking about it. For now, I think we all need to get some rest." She looked at Adam. "Are you okay to get the two of you home?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. We only live a few minutes from here, so it's not that far." He looked at Tommy. "We'll take care of the house while you guys are gone." He chuckled softly. "Although, I have to warn you. When you come back you might find a lot of healthy foods have been added and cleaning has gone on."

Jason grinned. "That's true. Aisha and Tanya might just get it in there heads that they can finally get their hands on the place." He looked at his friends. "When they do start cleaning, and I know it's going to happen, think you guys can help them get Tyler's stuff upstairs to his real room? Think it's time he really felt like he belongs here and moving him up to the room we've got set up for him might help."

"No problem," Rocky stated. "We'll get out of here and let you guys get some rest. Call at least one of us before you head out and when you get up there."

Tommy nodded, trying to hold back a yawn and failing.

Adam grinned. "We'll see you guys later." The two friends waved as they left the house and climbed into Adam's car. They were silent as the drive started, but Rocky broke it first.

"I'm glad Jason wants to adopt Tyler. I think part of his problem this past couple of weeks was he didn't know where he stood. With Jase wanting to take him as his own, I think it'll give our Hawk a bit better foundation."

"Probably right about that and I think with Zhane adding some training to the mix for the trio, it's going to help things as well." Adam was quiet for a moment. "You ever wonder what might happen if Tyler becomes a Ranger?"

"All the time. Sometimes, I feel sorry for whoever it is they would face." The Red Ape looked over at his friends. "Other times, I'm scared as hell to think about him out there on the battlefield. If it did happen, I know that I'd be as proud of him as if he really was my nephew."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, me too." The duo was quiet for the rest of the trip.

As the house emptied out once more, Jason looked at Trini and Billy. "If you want to get some rest here, the guest room that Tyler's been using and the one upstairs are open for you guys to use."

Trini shook her head. "We're going to go. Give you two some time alone." She looked at her watch. "It's almost five now. We should be on the road by noon to get there by nightfall."

Billy nodded. "We'll be back about 11:30 with an early lunch. You guys get some sleep." He stood up, his hand automatically moving to Trini's back as they started for the door. Once they were in the car, he looked over at her. "Guess it's a good thing you haven't officially set up shop here, huh?"

She laughed softly. "I think I'll have enough business with just these three for the next couple of months to keep me plenty busy." They each settled into their own thoughts about the days to come on the way back to Billy's.

Jason got up and locked the door as Billy and Trini left, leaving him alone with Tommy. Going back over to the couch, he carefully picked the other man up.

"I'm okay to walk, Jase."

"Maybe, but let me do this, please T."

Tommy nodded, then rested his head against Jason's chest as the other man started up the steps. "Hold me?"

"I don't plan on letting you go. Not ever." He carefully laid his Falcon on the bed, then stripped him down to boxers before doing the same for himself. Only then did the crawl in next to the man and take him in his arms. "I've missed you so much. Now matter how long it takes, we will get through this. I love you too damn much to let you go."

"There were so many times that I just wanted to tell you what had happened, but I was scared that you would blame me. Or think that I had done something to encourage Anton."

Jason could feel the hot tears that were starting to land on his arms as he held the man from behind. "Tommy, I have never doubted how you felt for me. You took a big chance four years ago by telling your mom and Russell about us, about being gay. Then you were forced to have anything but the barest of contact with a brother that you love dearly and even then you didn't really get to see or talk to him. You moved away from a place that had been your home for over 6 years to be with me. Why would I doubt your love for me when you have already given up so much?" He laid a soft kiss against his lover's neck. "I was hurt beyond belief that you were shutting me out, especially after your promise in the hospital. And despite what I said that night, I knew there wasn't someone else. I just couldn't cope with the fact that I might have done something to push you away. That it was my fault."

Tommy turned in Jason's arms so that he was facing the other man to find that his lover was crying as well. "It wasn't you, Jase. I swear, it was never you. Even knowing what I know about how Russell treated Tyler, I would still choose to love you. I might have forced him to let us see Tyler or pressed to see him more at the dojo, especially when we started getting reports that he was possibly being abused. That's all that I would change and even then only so Tyler would have been able to be with us sooner.." He rested his head against Jason's chest and sighed when he heard the familiar beat beneath his ear. "I love you, Rex and need you to get through this."

"I'm right here, T. I love you and I'm going to be right here." He rested his head atop the head of the man he loved and closed his eyes, letting the soft sounds of Tommy breathing help them both relax and drift off to sleep. There were challenges ahead for all of them, but as long as they stood together, they would get through them.

A/N: Yeah, I know that I don't usually make both top and bottom notes, but this time I felt it was needed. First off, I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out. I re-wrote several of the pages numerous times because they didn't feel 'right'. Now, I'm happy with the result.

For the length, I cannot apologize. There was a lot that needed to be done in this chapter. Yes, I could have left it with Jason leaving and starting another chapter, but that would have left things unsaid and the flow would have been broken.

If you think some of the actions or reactions might be a bit off, please remember, Tyler is only 14. He's been abused for 4 years. The only constant he's had in his life is the dojo with Rocky and Adam. While he might be rebuilding bonds with Tommy and building deeper ones with Jason, it's not going to happen overnight. There are still going to be some things that Rocky and Adam, at least for while, are going to be able to get him to do better than his own brother.

As for Tommy, the man has issues to deal with and they will be revealed in the next couple of chapters. So grab the tissues, get a stress ball or two and when the next chapter is delivered, just remember I did warn you.


	10. Chp 10 Starting the Rebuild

Don't own Power Rangers or anyone that you recognize. All the others belong to me. If you want to use them, talk to me first. Disclaimer is in the first chapter.

I apologize for how long it's taken to get another chapter out, but several things happened and I haven't been able to put as much time into writing that I wanted and like to do when I'm working on a story. Also, in the coming weeks, I will be updating all of the chapters that I currently have posted in order to ensure that the flow of the story is as it should be. Thank you for being patient with me. Enjoy the chapter and please don't forget to review.

Chp 10

May 2003

Tommy sighed as he took a seat on the edge of the dock overlooking the lake. The water was still too cool to swim in, but considering it was only the beginning of May they had a few weeks to go before that could be comfortable. He watched the sun as it began to rise above the mountains. Mist hovered over part of the lake, adding a tinge of red to the landscape in the growing light. They'd been up here a week and he felt that only the surface of what had happened to him on that damned island had been scratched.

The former green ranger was extremely grateful to Billy and Trini for coming up with them, especially Trini. She had to be flashing back to some of their study sessions when it was her alone with several of the boys. Luckily, the only 'boy' looking at her now was Billy.

That was something he'd figured out a while ago. Some of the things that Jason had told him during their talks while his lover, then best friend, was in Switzerland had been about how they were all adjusting to the loss of power and a new country with its own customs. It had taken a while for Jason and Zach to get her to admit that she liked the science geek in their group, but when she did admit it, she had only found acceptance instead of the teasing that was expected.

They certainly were an unconventional group. Even Tyler fit right into the mix of things. He sighed again and absently looked out over the flat, almost mirror-like surface that stretched to the base of the mountains: Tyler. That was a topic that had not yet been broached, but he knew that it was coming. Tommy knew that he'd hurt his little brother with his actions. It was the third time in his life that he'd made the teen afraid of him. Only one time could he claim that he had not been in complete control of himself.

Footsteps on the wooden planks let him know that he was no longer alone. A few moments later, he could tell that it was Jason. The original red ranger said nothing as he took a seat beside his long-time boyfriend and passed him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," Tommy said, taking a long drink of the hot brew.

"You're welcome." Leaning over, Jason placed a soft kiss on the taller man's cheek. "Think you slept better last night. Didn't toss and turn as much."

"Yeah, think we finally found a dose that will work for now. At least until I can get a handle on everything again." It wasn't something that he'd wanted to do, but between Trini and Jason, there had been little he could do to fight back. A part of him understood that the medication he was currently taking would help him deal with the depression and sleepless nights he'd been having, but another part of him felt weak for their necessity.

And a necessity it had been. Before they'd even left for the cabin, Tommy had woken Jason several times with his nightmares. Those left him deeply shaken and unwilling to go back to sleep again. His body had other ideas though, having already depleted its energy reserves. No matter how hard he fought it, he fell asleep again only to wake less than an hour later screaming once more.

"It'll happen, but you've got to stop bottling everything up, Tom. I've been telling you that for years and now you have no choice but to deal with it all at once. Or at least, get it all out in the open so that it can be dealt with over time." Jason slipped an arm around his lover. "We'll call Tyler after breakfast. You need to talk to him and let him know yourself that you're okay. Hearing it from me, Billy or Trini isn't the same to him and you know that."

"I will. Guess hearing him last night on the speaker phone really got to me, especially when he heard me start crying and tried to comfort me." He could feel the tears burning behind his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve him, Jase? Three times I've scared him so bad that he's run from me, and twice it was to you he ran, but he doesn't hold it against me. How the hell can he have gone through what he has and not be mean and hateful?"

"Because he loves you, Tommy. He can forgive you because he loves you and knows that when you're in complete control of yourself, that you would never hurt him." He pulled his lover close. "It's part of the reason that he is still as loving a person as he is despite what he's been through. He wasn't alone through any of this. Tyler knew that if he really needed help, Adam and Rocky would have been there without question. Or even my mom and dad would have helped him out. The kid stayed because of your mom. Once he knew that she was no longer willing to look after him, he started looking for a way out. When it got bad, he ran and it was to us that he came because he knew that we'd protect him."

Tommy snorted. "Yeah, we protected him alright. Let him get stabbed while he was in the hospital."

"Don't you dare Thomas James." Jason's voice was slightly hard as he spoke. "You know that there was nothing we could do to stop what happened. Russell was told that Tyler was in the hospital. None of us knew that he had a friend who worked in the Admissions Department at the hospital. If we had, Rocky would have had us check Tyler in under another name and you know that. So don't even try that with me."

The spiked head nodded slowly. "I know. Guess it's just easier to take the blame than it is to realize that I can't control everything."

He hugged the man to him, holding him tight. "I know, Falcon, and our little Hawk will be back with us shortly, but you've both got some healing to do first."

A soft chuckle came from the former white ranger. "He's not so little anymore, Rexy. Just wait until he hits a growth spurt." He looked at Jason. "Our dad was almost six foot six."

"Yeah well, hopefully that won't be for another year or so. Little shit already stands 5' 7"." He was quiet for a moment. "He needs some more meat on him though. We might have to add a few more calories to his diet plan."

They both laughed softly at that. The teen ate pretty much anything you set in front of him. It hadn't taken them long to realize that it was necessary to keep fruits, protein bars and shakes, sandwich fixings and quick-fix meals on hand for Tyler. Three meals a day, plus 2 snacks and sometimes a couple of protein shakes usually put the boy at close to three thousand calories a day, but to look at him you'd think they never fed him. Of course, it wasn't like you could just ask the kid if he wanted a snack either. You also couldn't tell him to just help himself if he was hungry to whatever was in the kitchen. No, one of the problems that they were having with Tyler was the fact that he was unable to make decisions for himself.

That wasn't something that Tommy had really dealt with yet, but Jason, Adam, and Rocky had quickly discovered that direct questions to Tyler that involved a choice were generally met with silence. If the teen did answer it was almost always with 'Whatever you want is fine.' It made the Original Red Ranger angry that so much of the boy's spirit had been squashed. That was one of the things that it had taken him a bit to see, but once noticed there was no way to deny the fact that Tyler had been abused physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was just something else that was going to have to be brought up before they left to see the young man again because Tommy needed to hear some of the things they'd discovered and deal with them before seeing Tyler once more.

Tommy snorted. "Gonna have to add another couple hundred dollars a month to the food bill then. You're right though. Mark even mentioned him needing to add a few pounds at his last check up."

"Wes said the other night that Dr. Jacobs said the same thing. That even with the muscling that Ty has, he needs more actual weight to him." He was quiet for a moment. "Don't think any of this is doing him any good, but they did say that his appetite was starting to come back."

"Yeah, which is something I don't really think that Phillips is prepared for." Chuckling softly, Tommy looked at his lover. "Think it's been a few years since Wes had an appetite like Tyler does."

Jason snorted. "Aside from Rocky, no one really has an appetite like Tyler has, at least right now." He looked over at his mate. "We should get back inside. Trini was making breakfast when I came out with the coffee and if you want to talk to Tyler before talking with her, then now's the time to do that."

"Guess you're right." He got up slowly, finishing off the coffee in his cup as he fell into step with the paramedic. "Hopefully, Trini will say that I've progressed enough by Hawk's birthday that we can join him, Wes and Eric in Silver Hills for a little bit."

"I think he'd like that and it gives you something to shoot for."

"It's the first birthday that he's going to have with us, Jase. I don't want him to think that we've forgotten about him with everything that's going on." Tommy was quiet for a moment. "And it'll be his first one without Mom." He looked over at his lover. "So we really need to try and be there for him."

Sighing softly, Jason stopped with him on the deck and pulled him into his arms. "We'll be there for him, Falcon. Even if it's just on a pass from Trini, we will be there for Tyler's birthday."

"Thanks Jase." They were quiet for several minutes, content to just spend the time in each other's embrace.

-o-O-o-

Trini stared out the window at the pair on the dock. Over the past week, she'd come to realize that it wasn't only what had happened to him on the island that Tommy needed to deal with. It was a combination of that plus everything from being separated from Tyler so suddenly; the years of having little, if any, communication with the boy; and then losing their mother. Any one of those things would drive a person into making choices they may not be able to handle, but when you add watching his little brother get attacked in the hospital while defenseless and getting sexually assaulted on the island, it was more than any one person could be expected to handle alone.

At the same time, she felt as if there was something a little 'off' about some of Tommy's memories in regards to what had happened on the island. She had sent off an email to a colleague of hers that might be able to shed a little bit of light on things. If she was correct and he confirmed what Trini was thinking, then the next step would involve hypnosis sessions for the former Green Ranger to find out what was really going on. Billy had suggested that Andros be put on alert as well in case his help was needed in that situation.

A hand came down lightly on her shoulder and she turned her head slightly, only to give the man standing next to her a small grin. "They're starting to head this way." Turning the rest of the way around, she wrapped her arms around Billy's waist. "I cannot believe everything they've been through and Tyler," She sighed. "We're going to have to watch him. I'm willing to bet that he's still shell-shocked about all the changes he's gone through in the past few months and hasn't processed everything yet."

"That is a possibility, but you have to remember that Adam and Rocky have been right there with him since the separation. After the Red mission, Carter was added to the list. Now, we've got Wes and Eric looking out for him as well." He looked down at her. "Not to mention there's you, me, Tanya, and Aisha, plus David, Sam, and the Scotts. He'll be okay." Billy pulled her in close again. "They all will and we'll be right there with them." He chuckled softly. "Our very own dysfunctional family village."

"Well, they do say that it takes a village to raise a child." Shaking her head, she gently swatted Billy's hand. "Come on; help me get breakfast on the table. Hopefully Jason talked him into calling Tyler before we eat."

-o-O-o-

Opening the sliding door, Jason waited for the other man to step through before following and shutting it behind them. "Want to go ahead and call Ty?"

"You think he's up yet?" Tom asked, walking over to the coffee maker to refill his cup.

Chuckling softly, the paramedic walked over to where the phones were charging and picked his up. "Are you kidding me? He's still an early bird unless he had to take something the night before." Jason handed the phone to Tommy. "Besides, it's almost seven. Wes said they had a 9am appointment with the doctor so I'm sure he's up by now."

"Alright. Dial the number for me, okay?" he asked his boyfriend and took a seat at the table. His mind was swirling with all the things he wanted to say to Tyler, but wasn't sure how much he should say.

"Okay." Dialing the number, the former Gold Ranger waited for someone to pick up.

Eric rolled his eyes at Wes as he added two more pancakes to the teen's plate before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Eric? It's Jase. How is everybody this morning?"

"Well, Ty and Wes are having a miniature food fight at the moment, but other than that, everything's good."

Raising an eyebrow at the blond, Ty put one of the pancakes on Wes' plate. "I don't want your sloppy seconds."

"Oh really?" Jason asked with a note of amusement in his voice. "Who's winning said miniature food fight?"

The Quantum Ranger quirked an eyebrow as the teen tossed a strawberry at Wes, who caught it. "I'm not sure. Right now they're playing catch-the-berry-in-your-mouth." He snorted as his lover missed the next one and part of it went up his nose. "I'm guessing someone wants to talk to Ty?"

"Yeah. Think they can quit pelting each other long enough for Ty to talk to his brother?" he asked, looking up at the confused gaze Tommy was wearing.

"Yeah, I think they can be distracted long enough to do that. Hold on a sec and I'll get him for you." Eric walked over to the table and held the phone out to the teen. "Jason's on the phone."

Wiping his hands, Ty grabbed the phone from the Guardian Commander and swallowed what he had in his mouth. "Rex? Is Tommy okay? I thought he was going to call this morning. Nothing's wrong is it?"

"Easy Hawk, nothing's wrong with your brother. I was just closer to the phone and dialed the number. That's all, I promise you." He looked over at Tommy, pointing towards the phone. "You want to talk to him?" The question was spoken to Tyler, but directed in general towards both brothers.

"Of course I do, Jase." The teen stated, taking a drink of juice afterwards.

"Okay, here he is," Jason said and handed the phone to Tommy.

The elder brother took a steadying breath and tried to sound as normal as possible. "Hey Ty-what's this I hear about a food fight?"

The teen sighed, rolling his eyes. "Wasn't so much a food fight as Wes and I were having a disagreement about what all was going on my plate." He grinned. "Well, that and the berry I threw that almost went up his nose."

"Oh, okay," Tom replied with a chuckle. "So you're doing okay there with Wes and Eric?"

"Yeah, they're not any of you guys, but Wes and I have managed to shift the stick that's usually up Eric's butt a little so he relaxes." He grinned unashamedly as he took another bite. "Wes is taking me to see the doctor again today and if he says my feet are better, we're gonna go swimming at Headquarters."

"Good-that'll be fun for ya." He stopped and had to giggle a bit at what the kid had said about Eric. "So...is Eric listening to what you're saying about him?"

The teen giggled a bit. "Uh huh, he's giving me the 'Q-Rex Stare'."

"Uh oh...be careful of that!" Tommy laughed. "But seriously, Eric's a good guy-even if he is a bit stiff. You be good for them, okay?"

"I am." Ty was quiet for a few moments. "I miss you, Tommy." His voice wavered a bit as he finished speaking.

"Oh Ty...I miss you too. I'm so sorry about all of this." Tommy was trying to hold it together for his little brother's sake, but it was difficult-especially when he could hear the emotion in the boy's voice.

"You're still coming back for my birthday, right?" Jason had promised him shortly after arriving in Silver Hills that he and Tommy would be there for his birthday.

"Absolutely. We wouldn't miss it, Ty-I promise you that. It won't be long now. What would you like for your birthday?"

The teen was quiet for several minutes, confusion marring his features. It had been a long time since anyone asked him what he wanted for his birthday or even Christmas. "I...I don't know."

"Well, we need to have some idea. Think about it and let us know pretty soon, okay?" Tom replied, looking over at Jason and smiling.

"But what do I ask for? I mean, what can I have?"

"Most anything, within reason. I mean, we're not gonna buy you a motorcycle or a car, but CDs, DVDs, clothes, new sparring gear-any of that would be fine. Whatever you want, kiddo."

"Okay, I'll think about it." He was quiet for a few moments. "Tommy, maybe not for my birthday, but after everything settles down, could I get a dog?" He was hesitant about asking his brother, but a dog was something that he really wanted and had for years.

"A dog?" Tom asked, his mind immediately recalling scenes of a younger Tyler playing with puppies in the park or cuddled up with Max, Jason's Golden Retriever. He knew that Russell had never allowed the boy to have a dog or a pet of any kind. "Sure. You can definitely have a dog. We'll talk about what kind and everything later. Like you said, got to let things settle down a bit first."

The teen brightened a bit. "Thanks Tommy." He sighed softly again. "I guess I better let you go. Have to finish breakfast and get cleaned up before we go to the doctor's."

"Alright. Let me know what the doctor says, okay? And don't give Eric too hard a time," Tommy chuckled and then got serious again. "I love you, Tyler-you know that, right? We're gonna be together again real soon. I promise."

"I promise I'll be good." For several moments, the teen toyed with his napkin as unshed tears filled his eyes. "I love you, too Tom Tom."

Seeing the emotions running over the kid's face, Wes got up and went over to him, resting a hand on his good shoulder while the teen talked to his brother. He shot a look over at Eric that showed how much his heart was breaking for the boy.

It had been a while since he'd heard Tyler call him that. His heart ached at the thought of the pain that the boy was going through. "It's gonna be okay, Lil Bit. We'll be a family again and no one will ever tear us apart again, okay?" A couple of tears slid down Tommy's cheeks as he tried to comfort his baby brother.

"You promise?" He let his own tears start to fall and leaned a bit against the blond that stood next to him, seeking out physical comfort for the first time since leaving Reefside.

"Yes, Ty-I promise." He could hear that the boy had become more upset and it only served to increase his own anxiety. He looked up into Jason's eyes, seeking a measure of comfort from the man who had always been his rock. "We are family-we always have been-and now we're going to be together from now on. I'm gonna take care of you, just like I did when you were little."

Jason stood close to his lover and pulled him in against his side while he finished talking to the teen. One hand moved to gently card through the short spikes.

"Okay." He sniffled and wiped his eyes on the shirt he'd slept in. "I'll talk to you later." He really didn't want to hang up, but he knew that his brother had things he had to do so they could be together again. "Love you Tom Tom, and Rexy, too."

"We both love you, Ty. I'll talk to you again tomorrow, okay?" Tom said, wiping his eyes and leaning into Jason's side.

"Can I call you later if I want to? Let you know what the doctor said?"

"Yeah, absolutely. You can call me whenever you want, okay? I mean that."

"All right." Ty sniffled again. "Love you Tommy. Bye."

"Love you, too-talk to you later on. Bye, baby."

Hanging up, the teen set the phone on the table and turned to the man beside him. Ty latched onto Wes and started to cry softly.

As Tommy hung up, Jason took a seat beside him and pulled the other man into a hug. "We'll keep those promises Tom. I give you my word as a Ranger on that."

Tom just nodded from where his head was buried in Jason's neck. He couldn't stand to hear the boy so upset and wished more than anything that he could be there in person to comfort him. A few more tears slid down his cheeks as he tried to calm himself.

Sighing softly, the paramedic just held the man that he loved for several minutes before speaking again. "We're making progress here Tom, and by the time Ty's birthday comes around, I'm sure that Zhane will have done some work with him and you'll have a handle on yourself again." He sat back a bit and gently wiped the tear stained cheeks. "Now, I know that just hearing him on the other side of the line didn't get you upset like this, so do you feel up to talking about it?"

"It's just the whole situation with Ty. He made me promise him that no one would ever tear us apart again." He stopped and took a steadying breath. "Seems like I'm the one that's driving us apart now."

"Hey, you have to be able to handle yourself before you can even start to deal with Ty and all his demons." Jason made his lover look at him. "And he's got a few, Tom. Right now, what we're doing here, is going to give you...give us the ability to help him better."

"I know; it's just hard to hear him so upset. He's been through so much already."

"I know he has, but you have to be able to help yourself first." Leaning in, Jason lightly kissed the warm, soft lips. "We'll work on you first and then together, we'll be there for Tyler."

Trini came over and put a hand on top of Tommy's, leaving it there until he raised his eyes to look at her. "Tommy, we are making progress. I know that it might not seem like it, but each day that you open up and talk about your separation from Tyler, the time you spent on the Island and what happened there, and finally the entire situation regarding your mother is all a step towards getting better." She gave him a soft smile. "I wouldn't ever use the word 'normal' to describe any of us due to our past as Rangers, but in time you, Tyler, and Jason will get back to as close to normal as any of us can ever hope to get."

Billy chuckled softly as he set plates of scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, and biscuits on the table. "Trini's right. None of us have been normal since we first picked up a morpher, but it's given us all something that we can bond over." He looked at his two friends. "That bond is what will help things turn out better for everyone."

Sighing softly, Tommy nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I know that you guys are right, but it's been a long time since I was really able to talk about my feelings with anyone." He blushed slightly and picked at his napkin a bit. "Plus you all know how stubborn I can be about admitting some things."

The Original Red Earth Ranger snorted. "Nah, you stubborn about something? You're kidding right? You my friend are the epitome of easy going." He grunted softly as his lover elbowed him. "They're right though, you and I both have some things that we have to deal with. Then we'll be there to help Tyler."

"In the meantime, we all need to eat before the food gets cold and then we can get to work," Trini stated, giving them both a soft smile.

-o-O-o-

It was several hours later before they took a break for a late lunch. Jason walked with Tommy out towards the lake once more and left Billy along with Trini inside the cabin. As they walked, the paramedic slid an arm around his lover's waist.

"You know, I've wondered sometimes if the Power surges and all that we had as teens didn't somehow strengthen our bonds with each other, especially when it comes to the people that we've ended up with."

For a few minutes, Tommy said nothing as he walked alongside the other man. "It might have, but then again you and I were friends way before anything else." He sighed softly. "Hell Jase, you were as much a father to Tyler as I was for a few years. I think that really helped us become closer." The former White Ranger was quiet again for a few moments. "You know, if you really think about it, the people that we're really close with today are all people that Tyler actually got along with when we were teens."

The former Gold Ranger snorted. "Now that you mention it, I can see that." He came to a stop next to a bench on the dock and pulled Tommy down to sit with him. "You know, I think that Trini's right and we shouldn't wait to start on the paperwork for me to adopt Tyler. I'm sure that if we talk to Wes, he can recommend someone to help out with it. Plus it'll give Tyler the stability that he's going to need to recover from all of this."

"You're probably right and honestly, I can't think of anyone better as a father for Ty since our own dad is gone." He looked over at Jason, giving him a soft smile. "It'll give him some grandparents too, officially that is."

A soft chuckle escaped the other man before he leaned over and gave his partner a light kiss on the cheek. "Mom is going to flip when I tell her that she's finally going to get the grandchild that she's always wanted, but then the next words out of her mouth are going to be when am I going to make you her son-in-law."

For several moments, the two men laughed in the late afternoon sun before slipping into a companionable silence as they each processed what had taken place that morning.

-o-O-o-

Inside the cabin, Trini watched the pair for several minutes before looking back at Billy. "I'm honestly starting to believe that Tommy wasn't sexually assaulted, but that the images were placed into his mind to make him think that he was in order to cover up something else."

"If that is the case, then the next questions are who would have done something like that and what are they trying to cover up?"

"Well, Mercer does seem to be at the heart of most of the things that might have been planted, so maybe we should start there." With a soft sigh, the petite woman put a hand on her hip before looking up at the man in front of her. "I really think that we should take a break for the rest of the day and try to get in touch with Andros." She blushed softly. "I can do basic hypnosis, but something tells me that this is going to require something a lot deeper than that."

"Then I guess while you're typing up your notes, I'll get started on reaching Two-Tone." Billy laughed softly. "Andros is never going to live that one down, especially not since Tyler was the one that gave it to him."

Trini grinned. "Guess he's like Jason in that way, huh?" The man in question had always managed to give someone a nickname, that really fit the person, and it would stick for years. "I think I'm going to bring it up to Jason again that he go ahead and start the process of adopting Tyler."

"That would probably help all of them, especially Tyler if he was certain of his place in their lives."

"He's definitely going to need the stability. They all will." Shaking her head, she looked up at the Original Blue Ranger. "Let's get lunch made and then we'll do what we have to do, give the boys the rest of the afternoon off, maybe send them to town for the evening."

"Sounds like an idea that has many merits." With a grin, Billy started getting some stuff out for lunch while Trini started working on her notes.


End file.
